Highlanders Inc.
Highlanders Inc. is a Tokyo robotics start-up spun out of the University of Tokyo in 2023 and led by chief executive Hiroya Masuoka. It develops general-purpose humanoid and quadruped robots powered by physical AI for work in manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure inspection and disaster response, where Japan faces growing labour shortages. Its robots include the Ninja bipedal humanoids, a semi-humanoid testbed, the HL Human humanoid platform unveiled in 2025 with 19 degrees of freedom, and the HLQ quadrupeds for field inspection. Highlanders also develops Kepler, its own foundation AI model for physical intelligence, and says it has more than 5,000 contacts and pre-orders from automotive, logistics and manufacturing companies. In July 2026 Mitsubishi Motors signed a memorandum of understanding with Highlanders to co-develop humanoid robots for its factories and to explore mass-producing Highlanders robots at an unused building of its Kyoto plant from 2027, with a target of up to 1,000 robots a month.
💡Notable Achievement: Mitsubishi Motors and Highlanders plan humanoid production at the Kyoto plant from early 2027.
What Does Highlanders Inc. Do?
Highlanders is a Tokyo University of Tokyo spin-off building humanoid and quadruped robots plus the Kepler physical-AI foundation model, partnered with Mitsubishi Motors.
“Japanese humanoids trained by a physical-AI foundation model with automaker backing.”
Kepler Foundation Model
Physical-AI model paired with an RL training simulator and fleet console.
Automaker Partnership
Mitsubishi Motors invested and plans humanoid production at its Kyoto plant from early 2027.
Humanoid + Quadruped Portfolio
HL Ninja biped plus the HLQ quadruped platform.
What Can Highlanders Inc. Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Parts supply, box transport and shelf picking with a light 1.4 m, 45 kg humanoid.
Box & Parts Transport
Carries light parts and boxes up to 3 kg in automotive and logistics settings.
LiDAR-Inertial Navigation
Environment recognition and RL locomotion at about 3 km/h.
Five-Finger Manipulation
Five-finger hand supports shelf picking and equipment operation.
Disaster Response
Targets disaster-site support alongside factory use.
Highlanders Inc. Robots
Showing 1 Humanoid Robots of 1 total model
HL Ninja
Manufactured by Highlanders Inc.
HL Ninja, also called HL Human or simply "N", is Highlanders' bipedal general-purpose humanoid, revealed as a prototype in June 2025 after the company's Ninja v1 and v2 walking testbeds. Standing about 1.4 m tall with 19 degrees of freedom, it is built to work in factories, logistics sites and disaster scenes using existing tools, passages and equipment. In July 2026 Highlanders and Mitsubishi Motors agreed to co-develop it, with production targeted at Mitsubishi's Kyoto plant from early 2027.
Highlanders Inc. Software & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
Kepler
Physical-AI Foundation Model
Physical-AI foundation model that drives Highlanders' robots.
Fleet Console & RL Simulator
Supervision & Training
Fleet console for supervision/teleoperation and an RL training simulator.
Highlanders Inc. Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Highlanders founded as University of Tokyo spin-off
Highlanders is founded in Tokyo as a University of Tokyo spin-off to build physical AI robots.
Source: interestingengineering.com
HL Human humanoid platform unveiled
Highlanders unveils HL Human, a humanoid platform with 19 degrees of freedom and high-output electric actuators.
Source: interestingengineering.com
Target of 1,000 robots a month from 2027
Mitsubishi and Highlanders outline plans to produce up to 1,000 humanoid robots a month at the Kyoto plant from 2027.
Source: interestingengineering.com
MOU with Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors and Highlanders sign an MOU to co-develop factory humanoids and explore mass production at Mitsubishi's Kyoto plant.
Source: mitsubishi-motors.com
Highlanders Inc. Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes Highlanders Inc. Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Mitsubishi Motors as investor and joint-development partner (July 2026).
- ✓Physical-AI foundation model plus fleet data flywheel.
- ✓Planned production path at Kyoto from early 2027.
Core Strategic Focus
Developing HL Ninja for Mitsubishi Motors plant and logistics use.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •Light 3 kg payload and 1.5–2 hour runtime.
- •Production scale and pricing remain to be proven.
Highlanders Inc. vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Category / Focus
- Highlanders Inc.
- Compact Bipedal Humanoid
- Kepler Robotics Forerunner K2
- Full-size industrial humanoid
- Unitree Robotics Unitree G1
- Compact research humanoid
- Booster Robotics K1 Humanoid
- Compact developer humanoid
- Kawasaki Kaleido 8.0
- Japanese industrial humanoid
Primary Use
- Highlanders Inc.
- Parts supply, box transport
- Kepler Robotics Forerunner K2
- Materials handling, sample processing
- Unitree Robotics Unitree G1
- High-speed bipedal running, 360° ground recovery
- Booster Robotics K1 Humanoid
- Education, research
- Kawasaki Kaleido 8.0
- Manufacturing, research
Weight
- Highlanders Inc.
- 45 kg
- Kepler Robotics Forerunner K2
- 75 kg
- Unitree Robotics Unitree G1
- 35 kg
- Booster Robotics K1 Humanoid
- 19.5 kg
- Kawasaki Kaleido 8.0
- 80–86 kg
Battery Runtime
- Highlanders Inc.
- 1.5–2 h
- Kepler Robotics Forerunner K2
- 8 h
- Unitree Robotics Unitree G1
- 2 h
- Booster Robotics K1 Humanoid
- N/A
- Kawasaki Kaleido 8.0
- 3–5 h
| Strategic Dimension | Highlanders Inc.(Current) | Kepler Robotics Forerunner K2 | Unitree Robotics Unitree G1 | Booster Robotics K1 Humanoid | Kawasaki Kaleido 8.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category / Focus | Compact Bipedal Humanoid | Full-size industrial humanoid | Compact research humanoid | Compact developer humanoid | Japanese industrial humanoid |
| Primary Use | Parts supply, box transport | Materials handling, sample processing | High-speed bipedal running, 360° ground recovery | Education, research | Manufacturing, research |
| Weight | 45 kg | 75 kg | 35 kg | 19.5 kg | 80–86 kg |
| Battery Runtime | 1.5–2 h | 8 h | 2 h | N/A | 3–5 h |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
Mitsubishi Motors
Invested and signed a joint-development agreement in July 2026.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Invested and signed a joint-development agreement in July 2026.
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
Highlanders Inc. Headquarters
HQTokyo, Japan
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Highlanders Inc.
What is Highlanders Inc.?
Highlanders is a Tokyo start-up, spun out of the University of Tokyo in 2023, that builds humanoid and quadruped robots powered by physical AI for manufacturing, logistics, inspection and disaster response.
Who is the CEO of Highlanders?
Highlanders is led by chief executive Hiroya Masuoka, who founded the company as a University of Tokyo spin-off in 2023.
Is Mitsubishi Motors working with Highlanders?
Yes. In July 2026 Mitsubishi Motors signed an MOU with Highlanders to co-develop humanoid robots for its factories and explore mass-producing Highlanders robots at its Kyoto plant.
How many robots will Mitsubishi build with Highlanders?
The two companies have discussed producing up to 1,000 humanoid robots a month at an unused building of Mitsubishi Motors' Kyoto plant, starting as early as 2027.
What robots does Highlanders make?
Highlanders makes the Ninja bipedal humanoids, a semi-humanoid testbed, the HL Human humanoid platform and the HLQ Air and HLQ Pro quadruped robots for field work.
What is Highlanders Kepler AI?
Kepler is Highlanders' own foundation AI model for physical intelligence, designed to let its robots learn and perform practical tasks in real work environments.
How much does a Highlanders robot cost?
Highlanders has not published prices for its humanoid or quadruped robots. The company says it has more than 5,000 contacts and pre-orders from industrial customers.
What will Highlanders robots be used for?
Highlanders targets manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure inspection and disaster response, where Japan faces serious labour shortages, and is working with Mitsubishi Motors on humanoids for car factories.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Highlanders Inc. datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Data is monitored and audited on an ongoing basis for accuracy. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.