Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong to inspect humanoid robot unit ahead of CES 2027
Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong plans his first visit to the RX robotics office, to check the humanoid technology slated for CES 2027.
Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong plans to visit the company's Robotics eXperience (RX) Business Promotion Office as early as next week, in what would be his first trip to the unit since it was created in July. The visit is expected to focus on the humanoid robot technology Samsung is preparing to showcase at CES 2027 in Las Vegas this January.
Electronics industry sources told MoneyToday on October 21 that Samsung is considering making robots a key part of its CES 2027 exhibition content. Lee is expected to personally assess how complete the technology is and what will be shown publicly. At an internal demonstration attended by DX chief Noh Tae-moon last August, the robot performed fine manipulation tasks — operating a camera to take photos and drawing out cards — the kind of work that requires precise, real-time adjustment of finger movement and force.
The RX office's lab head, Chris Hauser, laid out Samsung's distinct philosophy at the Samsung AI Forum 2026 in September: “A robot may be able to do a backflip, but it might not be able to open a water bottle cap.” The point: flashy whole-body control has outrun fine dexterity, so Samsung is betting on hand technology — including tendon-style cable actuation — and the ability to grip objects stably without damaging them.
Samsung's roadmap runs in three stages: verify the technology at its own manufacturing sites, expand industrial robot applications, then move into service and home robots. The company operates more than 100 production lines worldwide that can serve as live testbeds. Counterpoint Research data shows the gap Samsung is chasing: among humanoid robots shipped in the first half of 2026, over 60% went to entertainment, performance, data collection or research uses, while intelligent manufacturing accounted for only 13% and warehouse/logistics just 5%.
The chairman-level attention signals how seriously Samsung treats robotics as a future growth engine. Hanyang University robotics professor Han Jae-kwon said a giant like Samsung going all-in is both a sign the market is expanding and that competition will intensify.