Samsung became the largest shareholder of Rainbow Robotics

The electronics giant paid 86.8 billion won in 2023 for a 14.7% stake. And the following year, it increased its stake in Rainbow Robotics to develop the field of robotics, in order to “accelerate the development of humanoid robots,” writes TechCrunch.

The company also said it would create a Future Robotics Office that would report directly to the CEO of Samsung Electronics. The deal will also allow Rainbow Robotics to enter foreign markets, utilizing the tech giant’s capabilities.

Rainbow was founded in 2011 by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Center. The company has already developed dual-arm mobile manipulators and autonomous mobile robots for use in manufacturing and logistics.

Rainbow co-founder Dr. Joon Ho Oh, the robotics company’s former largest shareholder (before the Samsung deal) and KAIST professor emeritus, will remain with the company as an advisor. He will lead Samsung’s new “robotics of the future” division.

Samsung is not the only company involved in the search for developers of autonomous humanoid robots. Microsoft and OpenAI are planning They use their technology to create humanoid robots, and Tesla early this year presented his own robot Optimus.

Nvidia also plans to launch a new line of compact computers for humanoid robots called Jetson Thor next year.

In 2022, Samsung fixedthat robotics, along with artificial intelligence, 5G and automotive electronics, will be a key part of its future initiatives. This suggests there may be potential acquisitions on the horizon in these areas.