[Edaily Reporter JAEMIN SONG ] SamsungElectronics and LGELECTRONICS are shifting the focus of their robotics businesses from research and development to commercialization. During their second-quarter earnings conference calls this year, both companies simultaneously unveiled plans for production infrastructure, external orders, and global partnerships, demonstrating their commitment to developing robotics as a next-generation revenue stream.

According to industry sources on the 3rd, SamsungElectronics plans to establish a pilot production line and a data factory for robots in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. The company’s vision is to secure core technologies and operational data from manufacturing and logistics sites, then develop these into highly intelligent, multipurpose humanoid robots to expand their application from the business-to-business (B2B) sector to the business-to-consumer (B2C) market.

The company is also moving forward with additional investments to expand the business. During a conference call, SamsungElectronics stated, “We are continuously reviewing investment opportunities, including acquisitions and partnerships with promising overseas startups, to accelerate our humanoid robot business.” Following its acquisition of Rainbow Robotics in late 2024, the company recently elevated its robotics organization to the “Robotics Experience (RX) Business Promotion Office,” which reports directly to CEO Roh Tae-moon.

Samsung’s strength lies in its ability to integrate finished robots with semiconductors. The company plans to supply semiconductor solutions for physical AI by combining high-bandwidth, low-power memory; processors (XPUs) for on-device artificial intelligence (AI); image sensors; foundry services; and advanced packaging. This strategy aims to cultivate robots as a new finished-product business while simultaneously targeting the components market.

While SamsungElectronics is targeting both finished robots and semiconductors simultaneously, LGELECTRONICS is starting its commercialization efforts with actuators, which can generate revenue the fastest. The company established a pilot production line at its Changwon plant in the first half of the year to verify the mass-producibility and quality of actuators for humanoid robots, and will begin accepting orders from potential domestic and international customers starting in the second half of the year.

LGELECTRONICS stated, “We have successfully completed the construction of the pilot production line for actuators and are currently producing actuators for humanoid robots,” adding, “Starting in the second half of the year, we will pursue orders from potential customers and accelerate the establishment of a full-scale mass production system.”

Starting with actuators, the company is also expanding its business scope to include complete robots and physical AI solutions. It will deploy the humanoid home robot “Cloid” in its data factory to accumulate operational data and will collaborate with NVIDIA on everything from proof of concept (PoC) to actual implementation of manufacturing robots. By combining LG AI Research’s AI, LG Innotek’s vision technology, and LG Energy Solution’s batteries, the company can establish a business structure that encompasses the robot’s brain, eyes, joints, and power source.

Another variable is the U.S. restriction on equipment approvals for new models of humanoid and quadruped robots produced overseas. With the expansion of low-cost Chinese robot manufacturers into North America being slowed, there is speculation that new market opportunities may open up for SamsungElectronics and LGELECTRONICS, which are rushing to prepare for production and secure orders.