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Samsung Invests $181 Billion In Robotics: A Bold Step Toward Humanoid Innovation

Samsung Electronics has made a game-changing move by becoming the largest shareholder of Rainbow Robotics, a South Korean robotics company. With this $181 billion investment, Samsung now holds a 35% stake in the firm, signaling its determination to dominate the robotics industry.

Key Facts

  • Strategic Acquisition: Samsung’s stake, previously under 15%, has now expanded to 35%, with Rainbow Robotics set to become a subsidiary by February 2025.
  • Humanoid Focus: This move will bolster Samsung’s robotics division and fast-track the development of humanoid robots.
  • Global Expansion: The deal opens doors for Rainbow Robotics to leverage Samsung’s vast global network to enter international markets.
  • Future Robotics Office: Samsung will establish a dedicated Future Robotics Office, reporting directly to the CEO, to oversee its robotics ventures.

About Rainbow Robotics

Founded in 2011 by KAIST researchers, Rainbow Robotics specializes in advanced robotics, including dual-arm mobile manipulators and autonomous robots for manufacturing and logistics.

The Bigger Picture

Samsung’s investment positions it alongside tech giants like Microsoft, OpenAI, Tesla, and Nvidia in the race to develop autonomous humanoid robots. Notable competitors include Tesla’s Optimus and Nvidia’s upcoming Jetson Thor compact computers for humanoid applications.

This investment also aligns with Samsung’s 2022 announcement that robotics, AI, 5G, and automotive electronics would be central to its long-term strategy. The deal underscores Samsung’s vision of becoming a leader in transformative technologies.

Amazon Deepens Prime Video Shopping With New X-Ray And Lens Features

Amazon is adding new shopping features to Prime Video, allowing viewers to discover products connected to thousands of titles through its existing X-Ray experience.

The company is also introducing “Shop the Scene,” powered by its Lens visual search technology, alongside updates designed to connect video content more directly with shopping.

From Viewing To Shopping

The new tools build on Shop the Show, launched last year through Amazon’s mobile shopping app. Previously, viewers had to search for “shop the show” to find products related to a program.

Now, X-Ray users can open a Shop tab directly from Fire TV to see products associated with the title. Purchases are completed through the Amazon Shopping app, which can recognize the content being watched and open a synchronized product feed.

The app can also identify what is playing and take viewers directly to a storefront, removing the need for a separate search.

Amazon Targets Shoppable Streaming

Amazon is joining a broader push to combine entertainment and commerce. YouTube offers creator merchandise and shoppable connected-TV ads, while Peacock has tested shoppable programming through Must ShopTV.

Roku has enabled shopping through its remote, while Disney has experimented with shoppable television across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.

Shop The Scene Uses Visual Search

“Shop the Scene” uses Amazon Lens to identify products or similar items based on what appears on screen, including clothing and home decor.

Exact matches will not always be available because some costumes and other items are custom-made, high-end or unavailable through Amazon sellers. The feature can instead help viewers find similar products or recreate a particular style.

Shop the Scene is available on iOS and Android in the U.S. across more than 600 titles. Meanwhile, Shop the Show is expanding from 1,300 titles to more than 8,000, including Prime Originals, selected licensed content and live sports.

For Amazon, the changes bring shopping closer to the viewing experience, potentially creating another way to generate commerce from Prime Video’s audience.

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