Samsung registers robot brand ‘Samsung Bot’ in US, Canada

Samsung Electronics is expected to introduce household robots under the brand “Samsung Bot” in the North American market.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization on Tuesday, the South Korean tech giant recently completed a trademark registration of Samsung Bot in the US and Canada.

Samsung Bot encompasses all types of applications including industrial robots, exoskeleton robots, robot vacuum machines, robot kitchen utensils, humanoids and server robots, the company said.

The registration signals Samsung Electronics’ preparation to enter the global household robot market, which is expected to grow to $9.7 billion this year from $2 billion in 2017.

To seek a new growth engine, Samsung Electronics last year formed a robot business task force and elevated it to a robot business team in December.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee even hinted a potential merger and acquisition of a robot company at the Consumer Electronics Show 2022 held earlier this month. Regarding the firm’s plans for large-scale merger and acquisitions, the executive said, “We are looking at (targets) quite a lot, with a lot of possibilities in both parts and finished products.”

Industry watchers predict that Samsung Electronics’ first commercialized robots will be GEMS, a wearable robot for rehabilitation treatments unveiled at CES 2019. GEMS is available in three types for hips, knees and ankles. GEMS Hip, for instance, reduces users’ energy consumption by 24 percent while walking, and increases walking speed by about 14 percent.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)