Samsung tests 24-hour humanoid for factories, eyes CES 2027 debut

Samsung’s RX division is testing a bipedal humanoid for round-the-clock factory work in Seoul, with a possible CES 2027 debut on the table.

Samsung Electronics is testing a bipedal humanoid designed to work around the clock, and is considering a possible debut at CES 2027 in Las Vegas this January, according to original reporting by the JoongAng Ilbo cited in Korea JoongAng Daily.

The company’s Robotics eXperience (RX) division is testing the robot’s performance at its Seoul R&D campus in Umyeon-dong, Seocho District, according to industry sources speaking on Monday. The robot is learning to navigate and perform repetitive tasks such as transporting goods in manufacturing and logistics environments, and employees from Samsung and partner companies are monitoring its operations around the clock in three shifts.

The endurance race is becoming the commercialization benchmark. The goal is not a 24-hour charge but maximized uptime — the industry is converging on hot-swappable batteries that can be replaced without shutting the system down. Boston Dynamics’ Atlas can run about four hours before autonomously swapping its battery in roughly three minutes; UBTech’s Walker S2 uses dual batteries to swap its own pack in a similar window, advertising 24/7 operation.

Samsung is playing catch-up deliberately. In July it consolidated scattered robotics hardware, software and management teams into the RX division under CEO Roh Tae-moon, recruited vice-president-level executives from global technology companies, and its research arm has developed dexterous hand technology for grasping flexible objects like electrical wires. Kris Hauser, head of the Robotics Lab in the RX division, said at the Samsung AI Forum last month that management recognizes general-purpose robotics is a long-term challenge — while insisting Samsung’s track record of closing gaps from behind will repeat.