Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has announced its decision to become the largest shareholder in Rainbow Robotics Inc., a leading South Korean robotics company, by increasing its stake to 35% through an investment of more than 267 billion won, equivalent to approximately $181 million.
This significant investment is part of Samsung’s strategic efforts to bolster its development of advanced robotic technologies, with a particular focus on humanoid robots. Samsung initially acquired a 14.7% stake in 2023, with an investment of 86.6 billion won.
Rainbow Robotics was founded in 2011 by researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Technology’s (KAIST) Humanoid Robot Research Center. The company is renowned for developing Korea’s first bipedal walking robot, "Hubo." It also specializes in industrial robots, quadrupeds, dual-arm manipulators, and collaborative robots.
Samsung plans to leverage Rainbow Robotics' collaborative and industrial robots to enhance manufacturing and logistics automation processes. This integration of robotics with artificial intelligence is expected to significantly upgrade operational capabilities and safety by effectively analyzing and learning from situational data.
Globally, several companies, including Tesla Inc., Boston Dynamics Inc., and Figure AI Inc., are innovating autonomous robots powered by AI to boost industrial efficiency and safety. Additionally, Nvidia Corp., a leader in AI technology, introduced AI models for humanoid robots, and reports suggest that OpenAI is exploring its own humanoid robot endeavors.
"As part of our strategic vision, Rainbow Robotics will become a subsidiary of Samsung, utilizing our global sales network to extend its reach overseas," stated a Samsung spokesperson.
In response to growing market trends, Samsung has established a dedicated Future Robotics Office, directly reporting to CEO Ha Jong-hee. Dr. Jun-Ho Oh, a co-founder of Rainbow Robotics and an honorary professor at KAIST, has been appointed to lead this new division, tasked with advancing robotic technologies to become a core growth engine for Samsung.
With its extensive expertise in automation, AI, and process mapping, Jengu.ai continues to monitor such industry developments, providing insightful and authoritative coverage on groundbreaking advancements in the field of robotics.
``` This professional news piece is structured for Jengu.ai's audience, focusing on the implications and strategic importance of Samsung's investment in the evolving landscape of robotics and AI.
