After seeing Samsung’s demonstration video of its AI robot, Ballie, viewers might initially feel perplexed by the concept rather than persuaded to buy. At first glance, the compact, yellow robot, resembling a yoga ball looks pretty cute. However, some viewers may start to feel uneasy after seeing it chase after household pets. Nonetheless, its capabilities to carry out pet feeding, serve as a portable projector, and take on smart home control duties suggest it could be a valuable addition to households, should it ever materialize in stores.

Samsung Electronics debuted the prototype of the robot back at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where it appeared as a small, tennis ball-sized device accompanying the company’s CEO, H.S. Kim. Back then, its interactions were limited to emitting pleasant chimes in response to certain commands. However, a newly upgraded version of the robot was recently showcased in a pre-CES 2024 video presentation.

The video showcased Ballie’s versatile projection capabilities, from entertaining pets with tailored videos to projecting video calls on various surfaces and assisting in fitness routines by displaying workout videos. Samsung has explained that Ballie has the ability to autonomously adjust projections based on distance and lighting conditions, touting it as the first projector capable of discerning human posture and facial orientations to optimize projection angles.

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Beyond its projection prowess, the video spotlighted Ballie’s role as a smart home assistant, managing household appliances such as lighting, air purifiers, and pet feeders while relaying user updates via text message. Its ability to follow users throughout the home gives the assistant droid and R2-D2-like quality, albeit without the iconic dome head and chirping soundtrack.

Despite the captivating presentation, Samsung has yet to offer information regarding Ballie’s availability and pricing. Unlike its live debut at CES 2020, the Korean tech giant opted for a video demonstration this time around.