Samsung Confirms Humanoid Robot Development, Touting "Provider and Customer" Strategy

Samsung Electronics is officially entering the humanoid robot race. A top executive has confirmed the company is actively developing its own human-like robots, with a strategy that leverages one of its greatest assets: its own massive manufacturing and logistics infrastructure.

The announcement came from Oh Jun-ho, head of Samsung's Future Robot Promotion Team, during a presentation at the International Robot Symposium (ISR) 2025, held alongside the "Roboworld 2025" exhibition in Goyang, South Korea.

While acknowledging the humanoid market is still in its "early stages," Oh stated that Samsung perceives a significant need for such robots in factory environments.

A 'Provider and Customer' Advantage

According to a report from ETNews, Samsung's strategy hinges on its dual role. "From Samsung's perspective, the humanoid is a new challenge, but Samsung has a wealth of infrastructure as both a technology provider and a customer," Oh explained.

This dual-track approach is a significant differentiator. Samsung doesn't just plan to sell robots; it plans to use them, presumably within its own sprawling semiconductor fabrication plants and consumer electronics assembly lines. This provides a real-world testbed for rapid iteration and development.

Oh confirmed that Samsung is researching and developing core components in-house, including actuators, software, and robotic hands, with the goal of securing foundational technology. He also hinted at high-level collaborations, noting "we are collaborating with big tech" and referencing a recent visit by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to South Korea.

When pressed for a timeline, Oh remarked that a prototype "will be seen soon," suggesting development is further along than previously known.

South Korea's Crowded Field

Samsung's entry adds a formidable heavyweight to an already bustling domestic robotics scene. The South Korean government and its largest corporations are moving in lockstep to secure a global leadership position in the sector.

This national effort includes the K-Humanoid Alliance, a government-backed initiative aimed at consolidating the country's R&D and manufacturing prowess.

Samsung's new ambition places it in direct competition with several major local players:

• LG Electronics: The rival tech giant is also developing its own advanced humanoid, KAPEX, in partnership with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).
• Doosan Robotics: The established cobot giant has announced its own pivot toward developing "practical humanoids" optimized for function over pure human mimicry.
• Specialized Firms: Companies like Rainbow Robotics are already working with partners like CJ Logistics to deploy humanoids for specific industrial tasks.

Samsung's move, combined with these other major projects, underscores the seriousness of South Korea's ambitions and signals that the race to build a commercially viable humanoid robot is accelerating, adding more fuel to a market already attracting significant investor interest.