Samsung Electronics announced Tuesday the launch of a dedicated robotics division — called RX, short for Robotics eXperience — bringing together the company's work in the field as it searches for fresh engines of growth.
The new RX, or Robotics eXperience, unit will report directly to CEO TM Roh and establish research hubs in the U.S., China, and Japan
JUNG YEON-JE / Getty Images
Samsung Electronics announced Tuesday the launch of a dedicated robotics division — called RX, short for Robotics eXperience — bringing together the company's work in the field as it searches for fresh engines of growth.
CEO TM Roh will oversee the division directly, the company said. Executive Vice President Lee Dongkun, who previously led robotics strategy at Hyundai Motor Group — including oversight of Boston Dynamics — will head the Robotics Strategy Team, according to Reuters.
According to the company, RX will be responsible for steering robotics strategy over the medium and long term, spanning everything from foundational technology work to bringing products to market. Samsung said it intends to open robotics research outposts in the U.S., China, and Japan, positioning itself to tap into the talent and industry networks those markets offer.
Samsung stock rose 6.76% on the news, while the Kospi index was up about 4%.
Samsung said humanoid robots are central to its plans, with the goal of boosting both output and end-user experience — beginning on factory floors and eventually reaching homes and retail settings. The company pointed to rapid progress in physical AI as a key factor improving the commercial prospects for robotics.
The announcement follows a series of moves that signal a broader robotics push. Earlier this month, Roh said at a briefing in Jinju that Samsung plans to invest around 60 trillion won ($40.7 billion) in the Yeongnam region. Of that total, 19 trillion won is designated for Gumi — in partnership with Samsung SDS — to develop physical AI infrastructure and humanoid robot manufacturing facilities, the company said. Samsung also raised its stake in local firm Rainbow Robotics in late 2024 to become its largest shareholder.
On its January earnings call, Samsung told investors it expected to have concrete progress to show in humanoid robotics before the year was out, according to Reuters. In April, Samsung indicated it was open to dealmaking — including potential acquisitions — to speed up its robotics push, alongside collaborations with domestic firms on underlying technology.
Samsung has been navigating a period of significant capital commitments alongside strong financial performance. The company posted a preliminary second-quarter operating profit of 89.4 trillion won — roughly 19 times its year-earlier result — even as investors weighed the scale of its spending plans, including a separate 400 trillion won investment in a new semiconductor manufacturing hub in southwestern South Korea.
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