# Doosan Robotics picks DeepX NPU chips for on-device welding cobots

*A 98.9 billion won government initiative pairs domestic neural processing units with collaborative robots to automate heavy welding at air-gapped nuclear and defense plants.*

**Published:** October 6, 2026  
**By:** So-yeon Jung  
**Section:** Robotics & Automation — South Korea  
**Format:** Breaking  
**Confidence:** medium  
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/doosan-robotics-picks-deepx-npu-chips-device-welding-cobots-555  
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)

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## What to know

- Doosan Robotics secures two state R&D grants totaling 98.9 billion won for on-device AI cobots
- DeepX embeds edge NPU hardware into welding arms to automate nuclear vessel fabrication
- Nuclear plant quality trials run through 2029 before commercial product launch in 2030

![An engineer uses a tablet computer to monitor a collaborative robotic arm handling a circuit board on a factory floor. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-06-5e815989c3bf.webp)
*An engineer uses a tablet computer to monitor a collaborative robotic arm handling a circuit board on a factory floor. (AI-generated image)*

Doosan Robotics said Oct. 6 it was selected to lead two South Korean government projects worth 98.9 billion won ($73.4 million) to develop collaborative robots running on domestic on-device artificial intelligence chips.

The dual award from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy pairs South Korea's largest collaborative robot manufacturer with domestic chip design startup DeepX to eliminate external cloud dependencies on industrial factory floors.

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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "Doosan Robotics picks DeepX NPU chips for on-device welding cobots," October 6, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/doosan-robotics-picks-deepx-npu-chips-device-welding-cobots-555