The battle of the home robots is still on hold with Samsung’s Ballie which is a ball-shaped robot that moves autonomously on wheels still a no show despite a 2020 reveal at CES.
The cute device then made a new appearance at CES 2024 with a launch tipped as imminent, then LG got in on the act with a poor version of Ballie called Rosie, this product which appeared to be more of a knee jerk reaction to the Samsung offering has now been rebrand Q9.
Now we hear that Samsung who are a leader in artificial intelligence in portable devices, has again put Ballie on hold as they upgrade the original model with new AI capabilities.
Ballie’s much-anticipated launch drew significant market attention not just because it looked smart and cute but for what it did around the home.
What we do know is that this device is expensive to produce and that Samsung management are concerned about pricing and which Countries are more likely to adopt the AI-powered device.
Maybe they need to test market in Australia as we are known for adopting technology early and we already have the highest penetration rate in the world per head of capita of premium smartphones.
Its capabilities are already extensive.
when I first saw and played with this device at CES I was seriously impressed, now with the possibility of new AI capabilities and a new level of integration with Samsung Smart Things there is the real possibility that device could be a hit innovation.
Simply things such as recognising voice commands so that it can make phone calls and then displaying information to a wall through its built-in projector capability are really cool.
It’s also a potential great companion for elderly people and could well become the best friend of you cat or dog that is until one of them tip it over. 
At this year’s CES in January, Yong Seok-woo, head of Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display division, said the robot would launch “between May and June.
We are now into July and there is still no word of a launch despite Samsung creating a webpage dedicated to showcasing how Ballie will interact with people including dogs.
What I suspect is that Samsung is upgrading the chipsets to support AI functions, while also upgrading the camera sensor.
As for price this could well be a $3,750 robot which if it works as intended and that includes being a security device, the price could be worth it especially if Samsung offers a software upgrade program for the hardware.
“Ballie may be technically ready, but Samsung appears to be taking more time to gauge consumer reaction to its price and practical usage,” an analyst recently claimed.
ChannelNews also suspects that if Ballie is launched here several Chinese Companies.
