Mitsubishi Electric Corporation says it has developed an industry’s first physical AI machining system that coordinates humanoid robots and computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools to perform operator tasks. The company’s research claim is based on an NC system using humanoid robot collaboration, as of October 21, 2026.
The company cites a serious labor shortage in manufacturing and growing demand to automate work performed by operators at machining sites. It says conventional industrial robots can require substantial capital investment to modify production lines, while connecting humanoid robots to CNC machine tools has required dedicated communication functions and control sequences for each robot.
The system has three main components: an AI machining task planner that receives operators’ natural-language instructions, generates machining tasks, and assigns and coordinates work between a CNC machine tool and a humanoid robot; a CNC machine tool equipped with physical AI that exchanges operational information in natural language and collaborates with the robot; and a general-purpose humanoid robot. Physical AI is technology that controls and optimizes physical operations in the real world.
The AI machining task planner and physical AI integrated into the CNC machine tool use technology developed with Mitsubishi Electric’s Maisart AI technology. Tasks the robots can perform include setup, cleaning, removal and transport of finished products, inspection, and troubleshooting.
Mitsubishi Electric says the system enables unmanned machining operations and management based on an operator’s basic work instructions, without complex integration of individual robots. The company aims to use the technology to advance smart factories and fully autonomous, unmanned factories.
Mitsubishi Electric will demonstrate the system at the 33rd Japan International Machine Tool Fair (JIMTOF 2026) at Tokyo Big Sight from October 26, 2026.
