Domestic corporations are among the global leaders of the rapidly growing market for artificial intelligence robots. Shown is LG Electronics' CLOi ServeBot. (LG Electronics)

By Kim Seon Ah

Domestic corporations are among the world leaders in the number of patent applications filed on the rapidly growing global market for artificial intelligence (AI) robots.

LG Electronics filed the most patents in the sector by any institution, company or university worldwide.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) on Jan. 5 said this in releasing the results of an analysis of patent applications for robotics with practical AI applications to IP5, or the world's top five intellectual property offices: the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; European Patent Office; Japan Patent Office; KIPO; and China's National Intellectual Property Administration.

The number of such applications for AI robots grew 58.5% per year on average from 2012-21, and the cumulative figure over that 10-year period was 5,525, the report said.

By country, China filed the most applications with 3,313 (60%), followed by Korea with 1,367 (24.7%) and the U.S. 446 (8.1%). In annual average growth, China also topped the AI robot sector (59.7%), with Korea second (53.4%).

In applied AI, applications for patents in fields like education, entertainment and medical care accounted for the most with 53.6% (2,962). Second was those for interacting with the external environment in which a robot recognizes and controls objects with 33.8% (1,869), followed by robotic movement control through learning with 12.6% (694).

LG Electronics led all applicants in the number of applications filed with 1,038 (18.8%), followed by FANUC of Japan with 97 (1.8%) and South China Normal University 83 (1.5%). Samsung Electronics ranked eighth with 41 (0.7%).

sofiakim218@korea.kr