Balle the home robot is back bigger, better, fitter and a lot smarter than his last or her, appearance at CES.
First shown at CES 2020 Balle the home robot made a surprise appearance at Samsung’s keynote press conference and this time round it has artificial intelligence built in that is delivering a host of new capabilities.
The upgrade doesn’t take on human form but retains the bowling ball-like shape of the original and we are told that pets will love the new version.
The really good news is that Balle 2023 will actually go on sale later this year and it has some neat new tricks.
Balle 2023 now has a 1080p projector with a pair of lenses that enable you to watch movies, take video calls, enjoy fitness classes, or even provide an extra display for your PC.
All this while determining where to place the image on the wall to suit your current posture.
“Use Ballie to project images and stream content on walls, and it can automatically adjust the picture based on the wall distance and lighting conditions,” a Samsung press release claims.
“It can automatically detect people’s posture and facial angle and adjust the optimal projection angle for you.”
So, if you’re working out, it’ll switch the projection to the ceiling to match your sit-up posture.
Samsung claim that Ballie will have a 2–3-hour battery life, returning to a dock like a vacuum cleaner to recharge.
While Samsung is saying Ballie will be available this year, however there aren’t any specifics on the price or release date.
As for new technology Balle now has LiDAR sensors, which should allow Ballie (named after the Pixar character Wall-E) to navigate your home without leaving a home wreck.
Apart from AI for automatic tasks, you’ll be able to use voice commands and send text messages to interact with a chatbot.
For example, you can ask it to “play a movie on the nearest wall” or you can say “follow me to the study, I’ve got to make a video call”.
As displayed in Samsung’s video previewing the robot (above), Ballie is also a big help for interacting with smart devices throughout the home. It’ll handle your smart lights, curtains, television, and other devices you have around the house. Even non-smart devices can be controlled thanks to a built-in IR transmitter.
If you tell it you’re going to sleep, it’ll enable your smart home’s bedtime routine (lights, temperature, locks, etc.) and it’ll do the same in reverse as it syncs with your morning alarm.
You can also ask it to feed the dog, while monitoring the dog’s activity while you’re out of the home.
If your dog is tearing up the pillows in your living room, Ballie will send you a video of the offence. It can “feed Copper some snacks and play his favourite video” in order to distract him from the destruction. Those snacks will be dropped from a smart feeder, thanks to the robot’s intervention.
