Samsung is rebuilding robotics teams around humanoid robots

Samsung Electronics is collapsing its robotics teams into a single structure. The company is preparing to merge the disparate units scattered across the Device eXperience Division into a separate organization. Work on humanoid robots with AI is accelerating.

New structure and possible name

The new group will include the Future Robotics Office, Samsung Research's robotics unit and Global Technology Research. Rumor has it that Samsung is considering the possibility of upgrading the organization to a full-fledged business unit. This will happen as soon as an independent production line is available and profitability is ensured.

One possible name is "HX", short for "Humanoid Experience". The appointment of a new leader is also expected to replace Oh Joon Ho, who currently heads the Future Robotics Office.

Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong sees demand for robots not only in factories, but also in homes, restaurants, hospitals and nursing homes. So far, the most concrete part of Samsung's plan is internal: manufacturing robots trained and tested for the company's own needs.

Personnel changes and audit

Samsung's internal position looks stronger than just rebranding. The company recently launched a major internal recruitment drive for its DX Division, including three robotics-related positions. According to the report, several top managers from large global technology companies have also been hired.

Samsung's management diagnostic team also conducted an extensive audit of the robotics divisions ahead of the planned integration and personnel reshuffle.

Priority for factory automation

Samsung executives tied the robot program primarily to production automation. Roh Tae-moon, head of the DX Division, said in January that Samsung was making robotics a priority for factory automation. Expansion from corporate clients to consumers is the next step.

Industry observers expect Samsung robots could be deployed on the company's own production lines as early as the second half of this year. True, these are just speculations and not a confirmed plan from Samsung.

Progress in working with flexible objects

The most specific technical detail in the report is Samsung Research's progress in manipulating deformable objects. The article states that Samsung recently developed robot technology that can pick up and insert objects that change shape, such as electrical cables.

Unlike moving rigid parts, inserting a cable is a complex manufacturing task because the object changes shape during the process. Samsung is focusing on robotic arm technology and is rumored to be refining it through ongoing training for factory deployment.

If cable handling proves reliable on real lines, it will solve one of the less glamorous but commercially significant problems of using humanoids in a factory: handling flexible parts rather than simply moving rigid objects.

Native components and training data

Samsung also told investors during its first-quarter earnings call that it is increasing its ability to develop its own key robot components. The company described a two-track strategy: internal developments and partnerships, with the possibility of investments and mergers and acquisitions as needed.

KB Securities analyst Kim Dong-won pointed to Samsung's semiconductor fabs as a potential advantage. Behavioral data from real manufacturing environments, valued at 50-100 trillion won (about $33.7-67.5 billion), can be used to train robots, he said. This will help Samsung quickly implement humanoid robots in industrial settings.

For the humanoid sector, Samsung's restructuring means more than just another prototype teaser. The next specific test is whether the company can show a humanoid performing sustainable production work within its own facilities, rather than simply accumulating internal research and organizational capabilities.