Samsung is accelerating development of a humanoid robot prototype with the goal of an unveiling at the CES 2027 consumer electronics show in Las Vegas.
The robotics project is being led by the company’s RX (Robotics eXperience) business group, which reports directly to co-CEO Roh Tae-moon, who also heads the Device eXperience (DX) division. In a rare organisational move, both the hardware development team and the AI software team within the RX group are being overseen by a single executive – Yoon Jang-hyun, president and chief technology officer of the DX division.
Industry insiders said the decision to unify leadership of the robot’s “brain” (AI software) and “body” (hardware) from the earliest development stage is aimed at compressing the development cycle. Developing the two components separately and then integrating them would be too slow to keep pace with rapid AI advancements, one source said.
Samsung has secured multiple patents to accelerate commercialisation, covering hip joint design technology – seen as the core of humanoid locomotion – next-generation robotic hands, and AI-based motion control.
Two-track approach with Rainbow Robotics
Alongside in-house development, Samsung is pursuing a two-track strategy with its subsidiary Rainbow Robotics, a publicly traded Korean robot maker in which Samsung became the largest shareholder in 2024. Rainbow Robotics is currently focused on increasing the payload capacity and working radius of its dual-arm industrial robot RB-Y2, whose prototype was first shown in April. An improved version could be unveiled as early as November at the Robot World 2026 exhibition, depending on development progress.
Rainbow Robotics will take charge of industrial robots for field applications, while Samsung will enter the global market by presenting a blueprint for a general-purpose humanoid at CES 2027.
