Samsung is reshaping how wearables are engineered with a new AI-driven approach called computational design. The tech giant's Design Innovation Center in San Francisco now uses hundreds of millions of anatomical data points, over 10,000 AI simulations, and robotic testing to create products like the Galaxy Buds4 series and Galaxy Watch8. In an exclusive interview, SDIC head Federico Casalegno reveals how the company is turning subjective comfort into objective, measurable metrics - a shift that could redefine the entire wearables industry.
Samsung just pulled back the curtain on how it's engineering the next generation of wearables, and it's not what you'd expect. The company's Design Innovation Center in San Francisco has been quietly building a massive computational design operation that uses AI, digital twins, and robotic testing to solve one of tech's most persistent challenges: making devices that actually fit human bodies.
The stakes are higher than just comfort. For wearables like the Galaxy Buds4 series and Galaxy Watch8, fit directly impacts sensor accuracy and overall performance. But traditional design methods hit a wall when faced with the reality that every human ear and wrist is completely unique. Samsung's answer is to throw hundreds of millions of data points and thousands of AI simulations at the problem.
"Computational design is how we bring this philosophy to life - it is the process of harnessing the immense power of AI, data and computing to design products for people, rather than expecting people to adapt to our products," Federico Casalegno, Executive Vice President and Head of the Samsung Design Innovation Center, told Samsung Newsroom. Casalegno has spent two decades mastering this approach and now leads its implementation across Samsung's wearable portfolio.
The SDIC process relies on three core elements: real people, digital twins, and robots. The team captures 3D and 4D scans from diverse global populations, creating precise anatomical datasets that feed into what Samsung calls "digital twins" - virtual representations of human anatomy. These digital models then undergo AI and physics-based simulations, with results cross-validated through physical robot testing.
For the Galaxy Buds4 series specifically, this meant analyzing hundreds of millions of global ear data points and running more than 10,000 simulations to perfect what Samsung calls the "blade design." The objective data led engineers to subtly reduce the size of the main head and refine the angle of rotation - seemingly minor tweaks that resulted in what the company describes as dramatic improvements in stability and comfort across a wide user base.
What sets Samsung's approach apart is the shift from subjective feedback to objective measurement. Traditional design methods typically rely on small sample groups providing qualitative feedback. Computational design transforms wearability into a quantifiable metric. "By being able to consider all the unique shapes and curves of the human ear or the wrist through computational design, our designers are equipped with trustworthy, objective insights that are difficult to attain through traditional methods," Casalegno explained.
The implications extend beyond just better-fitting earbuds. Samsung now applies this methodology across its entire wearable lineup, including the Galaxy Watch8 series and Galaxy Ring. The company's proprietary dataset - built exclusively in-house - powers specialized AI programs that deliver insights competitors can't replicate. For Galaxy Buds and Watch products, this translates into measurable improvements in wearing comfort, stability, and sensor accuracy.
The SDIC facility combines design talent with cutting-edge technology including AI, machine learning, robotics, and advanced computing. The multidisciplinary team works at the intersection of human-centered design and data-driven decision-making, supported by state-of-the-art testing equipment like 4D scanners that capture anatomical data in motion.
Casalegno's vision extends beyond current products. "As our dataset continues to grow, custom AI tools will drive more accurate simulations and deeper insights," he said, suggesting these advancements won't just improve existing wearables but could "unlock exponential innovations down the line that lead to an entirely new category of wearables that can redefine the boundaries of user experience."
The approach represents a fundamental rethinking of how consumer electronics are designed. Instead of creating a product and hoping it fits most users, Samsung is using computational power to engineer devices that accommodate the widest possible range of human variation from the start. It's the difference between designing for an average that doesn't really exist and designing for actual diversity in human anatomy.
For an industry that's struggled with wearable adoption partly due to comfort and fit issues, Samsung's computational design methodology could signal a broader shift. As AI capabilities continue to advance and anatomical datasets grow, the gap between companies with this computational infrastructure and those without it will likely widen.
Samsung's computational design approach marks a significant evolution in how consumer electronics are developed, particularly for wearables where fit and comfort directly impact usability and sensor performance. By transforming subjective design decisions into objective, data-driven engineering backed by hundreds of millions of anatomical data points and thousands of AI simulations, the company is setting a new standard for the industry. As the proprietary dataset grows and AI tools become more sophisticated, Samsung's advantage in this space could widen, potentially unlocking entirely new categories of wearables that fit human bodies better than anything we've seen before. The question now is how quickly competitors can build similar computational infrastructure.
