Samsung Unveils Upgraded Ballie Home Robot at CES 2024: Exciting New Features!

Remember Ballie, Samsung’s spherical home robot showcased at CES 2020? I had forgotten about it too—until Samsung revived it at this year’s keynote, presenting several exciting AI enhancements.

The newly updated Ballie, unveiled during Samsung's CES 2024 press conference in Las Vegas, is roughly the size of a bowling ball and features a battery designed to last between two to three hours. It includes a spatial lidar sensor for room navigation and obstacle avoidance, plus a 1080p dual-lens projector that enables the robot to beam movies, video calls, and even function as a second computer monitor.

“Use [Ballie] to project images and stream content on walls, automatically adjusting the picture according to wall distance and lighting conditions,” Samsung explains in its press release. “It [can] detect people’s posture and facial angle to optimize the projection angle effortlessly.”

Ballie can project content onto various surfaces while adjusting the image angle accordingly.

Controlled by voice commands or intriguingly, through text message requests (like “play a movie on the nearest wall”), Ballie utilizes a chatbot to confirm actions before responding.

Like other contemporary home robots, Ballie can activate smart lights and, with its integrated infrared transmitter, can control “non-smart” devices like air conditioners and older TVs. Additionally, it can create a floor plan of your home to pinpoint where smart devices are located.

Samsung promises more features beyond the basics, including automated reminders for watering plants, access to remote medical consultations for older family members, and personalized interactions based on detected individuals. “With its built-in front and rear cameras, [Ballie] can identify and analyze its environment while learning user patterns,” the company adds in the press release.

However, details about Ballie’s availability and pricing remain unconfirmed.

The real question is, will these features entice homeowners to invest in Ballie when it eventually launches? History shows that home robots have struggled to gain traction, with Amazon's recent attempts illustrating this point. Another hopeful project, Mayfield Robotics, aimed to release a home robot in partnership with Bosch but ultimately shut down before delivering any units to early adopters.

Perhaps Samsung will achieve better results. Only time will tell.