[Edaily Reporter SOYEON KIM ] SamsungElectronics is launching a company-wide push to develop its robotics business as a key future growth engine. The number of research and development (R&D) personnel at Rainbow Robotics, a subsidiary of SamsungElectronics, has reportedly increased significantly over the past year. SamsungElectronics is accelerating its roadmap as it sets its sights on the mass production of humanoid robots.

◇ Focusing Resources and Funding on Robotics R&D… Growing the Robotics Business

According to industry sources on the 26th, Rainbow Robotics has significantly expanded its R&D organization by adding about 40 researchers over the past year. As of the end of June, the R&D workforce stood at 114, an increase of approximately 63% from 70 a year ago. In particular, the company has enhanced the competitiveness of its research organization by securing a diverse pool of talent, including master’s, doctoral, and bachelor’s degree holders.

R&D investment has also risen significantly. Rainbow Robotics’ R&D expenditure for the first half of this year totaled approximately 6.3675 billion won, a 64% increase from 3.882 billion won a year ago. This expansion of both personnel and R&D investment is seen as a sign that the company is placing greater emphasis on developing next-generation robotics technologies, such as humanoid robots.

Last month, SamsungElectronics announced the full-scale launch of its robotics business by establishing the “RX Business Promotion Office,” which reports directly to CEO Roh Tae-moon, who also heads the Digital Experience (DX) Division. The RX Business Promotion Office consolidates the company’s robotics-related capabilities and technologies across the organization, overseeing everything from the formulation of mid- to long-term strategies to the development and commercialization of core technologies. This move reflects the company’s commitment to positioning robotics as a core pillar of its future business portfolio.

SamsungElectronics is also recruiting experienced foreign professionals in the R&D field within the DX Division. In particular, the RX Business Promotion Office is focusing its efforts on securing “robot hand” technology. Since precise manipulation capabilities are essential for humanoids to perform various tasks like humans, robot hands are a key technology that will determine the success of commercialization. Through this recruitment drive, the company is seeking talent to develop manipulation control technologies and tactile sensing solutions for robot hand control, as well as to enhance the performance of robot hands.

SamsungElectronics is pursuing a strategy of first validating robot technology on the manufacturing floor and then gradually expanding its areas of application. Accordingly, the company is focusing on recruiting talent capable of collecting and building training data for robots in manufacturing environments and developing related algorithms, as well as talent in the following areas: △ vision-based 3D recognition, △ drive systems such as robot motors and actuators, and △ industrial robot motion technology.

◇ Potential for M&A of Promising Overseas Startups… A Significant Lead in Physical AI

Rainbow Robotics is focusing on developing actuators and production technologies for humanoids. The company is currently producing prototype components for high-power quasi-direct-drive (QDD) actuators—key joint components that enable humanoids to walk and run like humans while absorbing shocks. Having completed basic performance verification, the company is now pursuing technology internalization by developing and producing its own core humanoid drive components in-house, rather than sourcing them externally. Internalizing the design and production of these core drive components will reduce external procurement costs and enhance competitiveness in future mass production of humanoids.

Ultimately, SamsungElectronics’ goal is to develop an agile, walking humanoid capable of performing intricate tasks in industrial settings. The company plans to expand the scope of humanoid applications to include tasks that were previously difficult for stationary robots or mobile platforms to perform.

SamsungElectronics is reportedly considering a strategy to supplement its own lacking core technologies through additional mergers and acquisitions (M&A). In particular, software capabilities such as vision AI and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)—which enable robots to perceive their surroundings and make autonomous decisions and movements—are crucial for implementing “Physical AI.” How SamsungElectronics combines hardware with AI and software capabilities—which serve as the “brain” of its robotics business—is expected to be a key challenge. Consequently, there is speculation that promising overseas robotics AI startups will be the top candidates for M&A.