It's been five years since Samsung first teased the clever ball-shaped AI robot Ballie at CES. How time flies! But after half a decade, Samsung is almost ready to bring Ballie to the market. When? We still don't have an exact launch date, but it seems to be drawing very near.
As if to remind us of an imminent release, Samsung recently snuck Ballie into a new one-and-a-half SmartThings promo video.
The ad is all about SmartThings and how the platform leverages Samsung's AI to automate smart home devices for users. It shows various features and existing products, but Ballie makes its surprise appearance closer to the end of the promo video. The robot welcomes the story's protagonist with a “Welcome” sign projected on the floor. Check it out in the ad below.
Unless Samsung decides to delay Ballie again, the ball-shaped yellow robot is getting very close to its promised 2025 debut. At CES earlier this year, Samsung went on record on the big stage to confirm that Ballie will go on sale in the USA in the first half of 2025.
Needless to say, based on Samsung's timeline, we might be able to welcome Ballie into our homes within the next three months. Well, some of us might. Samsung hasn't confirmed how much this clever rolling robot will cost or when it might become available in more markets once it debuts in the USA.
As far as Ballie's capabilities go, this is an AI robot pet/assistant that can follow you around your home, listen to voice commands, and project images on your floors and walls. It has a pair of cameras, a mini projector, and built-in speakers.
Using Ballie as your assistant, you can check the weather, stream movies, consult Samsung Health and other personal data, control other smart home devices, and more. The smart robot will also remind you of your to-do list and calendar events.