LG, Samsung tap robot market with camera modules

South Korean electronics firms Samsung Electro-Mechanics and LG Innotek are eyeing the growing humanoid robot market, focusing on camera modules.

LG Innotek is reportedly in talks with US-based Figure AI to supply camera modules, with a deal expected in late 2025 and mass production starting in early 2026.

If finalized, LG would become the exclusive supplier for Figure AI, which plans to produce 100,000 robots in four years.

LG recently partnered with Boston Dynamics to co-develop a vision sensing system for the Atlas humanoid robot

Samsung Electro-Mechanics, while not yet supplying robot camera modules, could leverage its experience in smartphone and automotive modules.

The robotic camera module market is projected to grow from 40 billion won (US$29.3 million) in 2026 to 4.7 trillion won (US$3.4 billion) by 2029.

🔗 Source: The Korea Herald

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Robotics presents rare growth amid saturating smartphone camera market

The camera module market is experiencing a significant inflection point, with established players seeking new growth avenues beyond smartphones.

While smartphone camera modules have reached relative market maturity, the robotics vision market is projected to grow from $2.53 billion in 2024 to $2.76 billion in 2025, representing a 9.0% CAGR 1.

For context, the broader camera module service market, dominated by Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Innotek, and Sunny Optical, is already estimated at $25 billion in 2025 with a projected 15% CAGR through 2033 2.

This explains why both Samsung and LG are pursuing the humanoid robotics segment, which industry forecasts suggest will grow from 40 billion won in 2026 to 4.7 trillion won by 2029.

The rapid expansion represents a crucial opportunity for these companies to leverage their existing camera module manufacturing expertise into a new high-growth sector.

2️⃣ Advanced vision systems becoming the “eyes” of robotics revolution

Vision capabilities have become increasingly critical to robotics functionality, moving far beyond simple image capture to advanced environmental interpretation.