Geekblock Becomes Ludynamics, Betting on Character Robot Software

The company that runs the Korean science and engineering channel Geekblock has renamed itself Ludynamics (루드다이나믹스) and moved into character robots. On October 29, it unveiled the LUDBOT character robot and its software platform at a robotics lab in Seoul's Seongsu-dong district.

The company does not build robot bodies. Its core business is software that gives off-the-shelf hardware a character's look, personality, speech and movements. LUDBOT is a bipedal robot 70 to 100 cm tall and weighing about 7 kg. A character body and outer shell go on a standard frame, and the company says customers who supply character artwork can receive a robot within 45 days of approving the design.

Two software layers

The company's edge lies in two in-house programs. LOX is a development and operations platform that bundles a character's body, personality and motions into a single configuration. LUCA runs that configuration inside the robot and handles remote control and management. A single device plugged into a factory-fresh robot installs both programs and the character settings.

CEO Park Chanhu said actuator prices, which make up most of a robot's cost, are falling fast, so money spent on a proprietary body could lose its value within a few years. LOX currently works with one body, Hightorque Robotics' Mini Pi, and the company plans to add more.

Market plan and early numbers

Public and educational bodies such as local governments, universities and science museums are the first customers, since staff can operate the robot by hand. Entertainment marketing, including theme parks, performances and pop-up stores, follows from early next year. Retail is the end goal, but it requires robots that act on their own. The company has set the second half of 2028 as the target for that zero-operator stage.

Today LUDBOT is controlled remotely through an app, with autonomous guidance, free conversation and person-following to come via updates. As of September, 11 units were in operation with 176 cumulative hours and more than 130 experience sessions. Two units were delivered to DGIST. The revenue model covers custom builds, education and event content, and a subscription for updates and maintenance.

Geekblock stays on as a business unit and content studio, with 1.34 million subscribers. Ludynamics is running its first funding round since the pivot and aims to close it this year. "The most important thing is to find out how far real demand for character robots goes," Park said.