Industry Expert Blogs

Coming away from CES this year one thought filled my head: the robots are coming! Having walked around the floor of this enormous show I saw enough to convince me that the 1950s vision of the robot in your house ready to do the chores isn’t quite as far-fetched as it once was. That’s not to say we’ll have C3PO or Kryten available to order next year of course; things will start a little smaller and rounder.

The opening day featured Samsung’s Ballie – a small, round ball that literally follows you around the house. The company described it as a “life companion”. It’s equipped with a camera so will recognise its owner and follow them around the house – your voice assistant made physical. It can do what they can do – take notes, or set up calendar reminders, but it can also recognise objects. We’re told it could even recognise spills on the floor and send for an automated robo-cleaner to deal with it. Presumably, it will recognise intruders but unless they attach lasers to it, it won’t be much of a deterrent, though it could send you an alert in the moment before it’s hurled out of the window. The camera could also be used to capture fun family moments – the children’s first steps from a unique angle, for example.

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