Do you remember Samsung Ballie? The tiny ball-shaped rolling robot with advanced AI capabilities and BB-8 vibes? If you don't, Ballie was shown off at CES 2020 but never commercialized. Samsung was unsure about its feasibility and decided to drastically redesign the rolling robot. That, it did! And Ballie is now finally back in the spotlight.
Samsung has brought a redesigned Ballie back on stage at CES 2024. The keyword is “redesigned,” as the new Ballie is larger, has wheels, and boasts a built-in projector that can show images on the floor, walls, or ceiling.
According to the tech giant, Ballie is a personal home assistant that autonomously drives around the home and is capable of completing various tasks.
It's a rolling smart hub of sorts and can manage home appliances and devices connected to the SmartThings platform. It's also voice-controlled and can change SmartThings scenes.
New Ballie looks beefier and more stable
In the official presentation video Samsung unveiled at CES 2024, the new Ballie robot is depicted as a great companion for pets, as it can feed or entertain them using its party tricks.
Ballie can also play music, project workout videos, play videos, answer phone calls, and carry video calls. Samsung says the robot learns constantly from the user's patterns and habits to provide smarter and more personalized services.
Interestingly enough, the old Ballie design also makes a brief appearance near the end of the promotional video, reminding viewers of where things started.
Samsung hasn't revealed when Ballie will go on sale or how much it will cost. So, we can only hope that the redesigned Ballie is planned for release and won't be shelved like the 2020 model.
Editor's Note: The original Ballie, even though it may have looked slicker, could have resembled a tennis ball or chew toy too much to be a reliable design for pet owners. The new Ballie is larger and doesn't roll — but rolls on wheels, which might prevent pets from chewing at it.
