Samsung to launch its first robot to assist with elderly care

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest memory chip and smartphone maker, is set to launch its first robot later this year to care for the elderly when exercising, co-CEO Han Jong-hee said on Jan. 6 at tech show CES 2023.

The co-CEO said Samsung is boosting robotics and the metaverse as future growth engines and will unveil details of the robot, dubbed EX1, at the time of launch.

Samsung has previously showcased prototype robots for child care and housekeeping. It will also inject 59 billion won ($46.8 million) in South Korea's Rainbow Robotics to hold a 10.3% stake, marking the tech giant’s first investment in a robotics developer. 

Samsung has tried M&As in the robot market in the past. But such M&A procedures were suspended amid unfavorable factors like the Russia-Ukraine war, China's COVID-19 lockdown, and high exchange rates last year; it will likely announce M&A news this year, Han said.

TARGETING TOP SPOT IN HOME APPLIANCES WITH HYPER-CONNECTIVITY

Samsung will forge new strategies in a bid to become No. 1 in the global home appliance industry, the co-CEO said. 

"The global home appliance market exceeded $340 billion last year, which tripled the global TV market. Our home appliance business is one of the growth engines of our Device eXperience (DX) division, and we will differentiate it by expanding our SmartThings services, which efficiently connect users and devices based on the Internet of Things (IoT)," said Han.

To improve SmartThings services, Samsung will strengthen its "calm technology," which automatically recognizes users' needs and provides solutions before the user accesses the device.

Roh Tae-moon, the president of Samsung Electronics' Mobile eXperience Division, and Lee Young-hee, its president of global marketing, underscored the hyper-connectivity of smart devices. Roh said he looks forward to more personalized and optimized smart devices in the post-pandemic era, while Lee said Samsung will strive to reinforce connectivity and enhance user experiences as the Apple ecosystem does. 

The tech giant will also strengthen Bespoke, its kitchen appliance brand with customizable designs. The brand, which entered the global market in 2019, will enlarge its presence this year by boosting its three core values of design, sustainability and connectivity.

STAYING NO.1 IN GLOBAL TV MARKET WITH EXTRA-BIG SCREENS

The co-CEO attributed the falling stock price to macroeconomic factors that have hurt many global big tech firms. The stock, which touched 96,800 won in January 2021, nosedived to 51,800 won in September 2022. It closed at 59,000 won on Jan. 6. 

"The market outlook is unclear amid a prolonged economic downturn, global geopolitical risks and supply chain disruptions. Our success depends on how we cope with the uncertainties; Samsung will make its best efforts to manage uncertainty with many scenarios for economic crises," Han said.

Samsung, which has led the global TV market since 2006, aims to maintain its No. 1 status this year. The tech giant will release super-large TV screens, including the 98-inch Neo QLED 8K, while strengthening its form factor business by producing different sizes of micro-light-emitting diode (micro-LED) screens.

Write to Ji-Eun Jeong at jeong@hankyung.com
Jihyun Kim edited this article.