During a controlled demo, Ballie showcased its ability to provide information, project movies, and even offer wine pairing suggestions using visual AI. However, the brightness of its projections is limited, and there are questions about its real-world performance outside of a demo setting. Samsung has indicated that Ballie will be released in the first half of 2025, but pricing details remain unknown. The robot's charm and functionality are noted, though it may not fully meet the high expectations set by fictional robots like BB-8 and WALL-E.
Key takeaways:
- Samsung's Ballie robot, first introduced at CES five years ago, is expected to ship to consumers in 2025, with a more practical redesign.
- Ballie can project images onto walls and floors, interact via voice commands, and control smart home devices, but its projection brightness is limited.
- The robot demonstrated visual AI capabilities, such as identifying wine pairings, but the demo's authenticity is questioned.
- Samsung has not disclosed the price of Ballie, and its release is anticipated in the first half of 2025.