Samsung Electronics is delaying the release of the wearable driving assistance robot 'GEMS Hip' planned for August, until the end of the year. The product is being perfected and the certification and marketing strategies are being checked even if it takes time. It is expected to be released simultaneously in Korea and the United States.
Samsung Electronics first unveiled wearable robot GEMS Hip at the CES 2019. It is worn on the hip joint and increases walking speed by 10% by pacing the walking force by more than 20% when walking. It has also been certified to the international standard ISO 13482 with its safety guaranteed as well. The GEMS robot, a product that can be worn on the knees and ankles, has also been developed.
Samsung Electronics expanded the use of GEMS Hip, which was originally designed for medical use, to general exercise products. Wearing a robot device and moving around can give effect of receiving personal training (PT). The company collaborated with a fitness company to design the product for exercising. As the price is inevitably high, premium marketing is expected be done.
Samsung Electronics is expected to introduce the GEMS Hip product in two tracks, one for exercise and one for medical use. The will expand the product lines and conduct omnidirectional robot marketing.
In the end, Samsung is expected to be boosted in the North American market, where the wearable robot industry is considerably large. The wearable robot market in the United States has the fastest commercialization and it has been growing rapidly by 21% every year since 2016. Samsung Electronics plans to focus on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for mass-produced robots, and accelerate the process citing medical insurance benefits.
The robot production will be handled by Samsung Electronics' major partners. It is also expected that key parts will be procured from domestic companies. Some partners have already started mass production of robot parts.
From next year, Samsung Electronics will foster a new robot business as a future growth business. To this end, early last year, a Robot Task Force (TF) was formed under the direct control of the head of the consumer electronics (CE) division. At the end of the year, the robot commercialization TF was upgraded to the robot business team. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jong-hee Han announced at the regular shareholders' meeting in March that he would develop robots as a new business.
After introducing medical and exercise robots, Samsung is expected to rapidly expand its product lineup to service robots, such as serving robots, which are rapidly expanding the market.
According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, the service robot market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of close to 30% over the next four years.
Reporter So-ra Park (srpark@etnews.com)