South Korean tech giant LG Electronics Inc. has announced plans to enter the robotics industry by investing heavily in robots and smart home technologies to bridge the gap between artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

The company said it aims to develop "sophisticated machines" that can communicate with other devices including home appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators, according to Reuters.

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"We will prepare for the future by aggressively investing in smart home, robots, and key components and strengthen the home appliances business's capabilities," said Jo Seung-jin, chief executive officer of LG's home appliances business unit. "We are in the middle of figuring out how to link all of those robots and uses for our business," he said. "Since human-care robots are closely related to smart home appliances, home appliance unit is preparing for the future business."

Recently, LG signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Incheon International Airport in South Korea to supply and operate autonomous robots that would be responsible for cleaning and guiding travelers at the airport. Tests are expected to begin sometime before the end of 2016.

In July, the South Korean giant announced its partnership with German automaker Volkswagen to develop a platform that would enable vehicles to connect with smart home devices and other gadgets.

LG is also partnering with e-commerce giant Amazon to enable the latter's Alexa virtual assistant to work with LG's smart-home device, called SmartThinQ Hub, to connect to home appliances via the Internet. Seung-jin said LG is planning to work alongside many partners "to deliver differentiated smart-home solutions to customers."