2024’s almost done, but AI and robotics news just keep rolling in. Samsung’s latest move is doubling down on Rainbow Robotics, a South Korean company that focuses on both collaborative robots, known as “cobots,” and humanoid ones like the HUBO series. These cobots handle boring, repetitive tasks in factories and service industries, but it’s the humanoid robots that seem to have Samsung especially interested.
The tech giant is boosting its share in Rainbow Robotics from 14.7%, snagged back in 2023, to a solid 35% and making the company a subsidiary in Samsung Electronics’ financial reports. And they’re not shy about their goal here. In their own words, becoming the largest shareholder lets them "accelerate future robot development such as humanoid robots."
But it's not just about robots for Samsung’s manufacturing lines. It is eyeing a global market, with plans to integrate Rainbow Robotics’ tech into their operations worldwide. According to Samsung:
With the collaboration, Samsung plans to utilize Rainbow Robotics’ collaborative robots, dual-arm mobile manipulator and autonomous mobile robots for manufacturing and logistics automation tasks. These robots can greatly improve their work capabilities by learning and analyzing situational data and environmental variables that occur in the field through AI algorithms. Rainbow Robotics is expected to actively enter overseas markets by utilizing Samsung’s global sales infrastructure.
Samsung’s move is a big swing in their robotics playbook, but they’re far from the only ones going all-in on humanoid robots. Figure, a rising startup, is reportedly pulling in $500 million from heavyweights like Microsoft and OpenAI, which says a lot about how much cash is flooding into this space. Then there’s Elon Musk, never one to hold back, claiming Tesla’s humanoid robots could skyrocket the company’s value by 43 times.
Samsung is not stopping at just upping its share in Rainbow Robotics. It's also setting up a Future Robotics Office, reporting straight to the CEO. Its job is to push the boundaries of advanced robotics, especially humanoid ones. Leading the charge is Dr. Jun-Ho Oh, a founding member of Rainbow Robotics, which feels like a smart move considering his background.
Image via Rainbow Robotics
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