Samsung and LG are accelerating their efforts to capture the humanoid (human-shaped) robot market by pooling group-wide capabilities. Both companies plan to first validate their technologies in manufacturing environments before expanding into B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) markets. With next year's unveiling of next-generation humanoids as a milestone, competition between the two firms for market leadership is expected to intensify.
On the 14th, LG announced that on the 13th (local time), it signed a strategic business cooperation MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with NVIDIA at NVIDIA's headquarters in Santa Clara, California, USA. The meeting was attended by LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-mo and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. The core of the collaboration between the two companies is 'physical AI' that will be Noh I-deu-ro (CEO)ed. The plan aims to accelerate the commercialization of physical AI by combining LG affiliates' technological capabilities with NVIDIA's artificial intelligence (AI).
LG's strength lies in its group-level 'Physical AI Stack.' It is evaluated as being able to consolidate capabilities across affiliates: actuators (robot joints) from LG Electronics, sensors from LG Innotek, and batteries from LG Energy Solution. Additionally, the company plans to leverage NVIDIA's 'Isaac GR00T,' 'Halos for Robotics,' and 'Jetson Thor' to enhance the perception, decision-making, control, and safety of next-generation humanoids. The target is to unveil them in the first quarter of next year.
Validation will also take place primarily in manufacturing environments. LG Electronics plans to deploy its home-use robot 'LG CLOi' on a washing machine production line at its Tennessee factory in the U.S. this year to conduct PoC (Proof of Concept) testing. Last month, LG Electronics established a new 'Robotics Business Center' directly under CEO Ryu Jae-cheol and created a separate organizational structure for developing and commercializing robot technologies. The company will diversify its business portfolio by adding home-use robots to the industrial and commercial robots offered by subsidiaries Robostar and Bear Robotics.
The company is also focusing on building training data. Based on LG CNS's robot platform 'Physical Works,' it plans to establish systems for data collection, generation, learning, and validation to advance its own robot foundation models.
Samsung Electronics has begun advancing next-generation humanoids centered on the 'RX (Robotics eXperience) Business Promotion Office,' which reports directly to the Do (CEO) director. Recently, a closed-door demo demonstration was also held at its Oryu-dong R&D campus. It is reported that the humanoid performed sophisticated hand movements, such as operating a camera to take photos itself. Camera operation requires precise control of finger movements and the force applied to objects—a highly complex technology.
Industry experts assess that Samsung Electronics' hand manipulation technology has advanced significantly since 'Bot Handy' in 2022. The first public unveiling of next-generation humanoids is expected at CES 2027, the world's largest information technology (IT) and consumer electronics exhibition, to be held early next year in Las Vegas, USA. Samsung Electronics will also establish a humanoid YangsanLINE and a 'Data Factory' for producing robot training data in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
The plan is to first start with manufacturing sites before expanding the scope of humanoid applications. Samsung Electronics Chairman Noh Tae-moon stated at CES 2026 held last January that "Samsung Electronics aims to first introduce automation robots at its production sites and then expand into B2B and B2C businesses based on the technologies and capabilities accumulated there." Affiliates such as Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Samsung SDI will support commercialization by leveraging their core component capabilities in camera modules, sensors, batteries, and more.
An industry source said, "For humanoid commercialization, hardware technologies such as AI, sensors, actuators, and batteries, along with on-site data, must be supported." He added, "Both Samsung and LG possess relevant group-wide capabilities and large-scale manufacturing sites, which will serve as competitive advantages."
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