Samsung's Humanoid Robot Layout Exposed

According to South Korean media reports, industry insiders revealed on the 5th that Samsung Electronics has confirmed its subsidiary Rainbow Robotics is independently developing humanoid robots.

Rainbow Robotics was spun off from the HUBO Humanoid Robot Lab of KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), which developed South Korea's first-generation bipedal humanoid robot. Between 2023 and 2024, Samsung Electronics gradually acquired shares, took control of Rainbow Robotics, and successfully incorporated it as a subsidiary. At present, the main revenue source of Rainbow Robotics comes from the RB series collaborative robotic arms (Cobot). It is advancing the commercialization of the RBY1 wheeled dual-arm humanoid platform, and developing prototypes of the HUBO series bipedal humanoid research robots, etc.

The report says Samsung Electronics plans to build a data factory in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, which will integrate process data from the existing Gumi production sites to build a system that supports robot learning. Previous reports said Samsung plans to build a mass production base for humanoid robots in Gumi, with a total project investment of about 13 trillion won (about 61.6 billion yuan).

In terms of artificial intelligence models, Samsung Electronics has its self-developed "Gauss" model. A robotics industry insider said: "Samsung is also developing a world model." The world model is an AI prediction model that uses video data to learn physical laws. This technology enables robots to pre-simulate results before taking actions.

In addition, Samsung Electronics is also independently developing actuators for humanoid robots. It is reported that they have adopted motor technologies used in household appliances.

At present, "Physical AI" is regarded as the core strategic direction of South Korea's industrial upgrading.

On June 29, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung hosted the national report meeting for the "Three Super Projects for the Great Leap Forward of the Republic of Korea" at the Blue House, with Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, and Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, attending on the same stage, jointly releasing a national strategy covering 2026 to 2036 with a total investment of about 2000 trillion won (about 1.3 trillion US dollars). The project takes "semiconductors, AI data centers, and Physical AI" as its three pillars.

On July 6, Lee Jae-myung stated that the key to the three major projects is to win the "speed race", and emphasized that competition in cutting-edge industries concerns the fate of all countries, and the final victory depends on who acts faster.

Robots are the core industrial carrier of Physical AI. Against this backdrop, Samsung Electronics is recruiting talents for its humanoid robot business.

On July 21, Samsung Electronics established the RX (Robotics eXperience) Business Promotion Office, which reports directly to CEO Roh Tae-moon. Samsung Electronics said that the RX department will be responsible for medium and long-term robotics strategies, core technology development and business execution, while expanding domestic and overseas research capabilities. Industry insiders believe this is a signal that Samsung Electronics is accelerating its foray into the humanoid robot business.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics appointed Lee Dong-gun as the head of the Robotics Strategy Team, who previously led Boston Dynamics' robotics strategy at Hyundai Motor Group. In addition, Samsung Electronics has recruited Professor Kim Hyun-jin from the Autonomous Robotics Lab of the Department of Aerospace Engineering of Seoul National University, and is recruiting other global experts.

This article is from the WeChat official account "CLS AI Daily", author: Song Ziqiao, published by 36Kr with authorization.