Not too long ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, Samsung Electronics introduced its robot companion to make daily chores easier and help people intelligently manage their lives.
The robot called Ballie can assist you in home workouts by projecting workout videos on the wall, as well as playing music and answering phone calls.
The AI companion received a lot of positive feedback and excitement considering its first announcement in 2020 left people confused at the curious capabilities of the tennis ball-sized robot.
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Now, the Korean tech company's rival Apple is stepping into the household AI ring.
The California tech giant is reportedly developing a tabletop home device that can follow you around your house.
By using robotics, the smart display can move around and make FaceTime calls more immersive.
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According to Bloomberg, the smart display is thought to be in the more advanced stages than the actual mobile robot, however, the concept altogether is still being kept under wraps.
One idea involved the display 'mimicking the head movements' of a person on a FaceTime video call, claimed Mark Gurman of Bloomberg.
However, Apple has faced technical challenges in 'balancing the weight of a robotic motor on a small stand', which seems a little makeshift.
This has led to some Apple executives questioning whether to continue with the development of the home gadget.
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Apple’s robotics efforts are being managed by its hardware engineering division whilst its AI and machine-learning unit is being overseen by John Giannandrea.
Apple is investigating the use of AI algorithms that would help robots 'navigate cluttered spaces within people's homes.'
Meanwhile, Matt Costello and Brian Lynch are developing the hardware unit.
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As said, the project is allegedly in its very early stages and it's unclear whether products will ever be brought to market.
But now that Apple has called off its decade-long pursuit to build an electric car, Bloomberg claims that home robots could be the company's 'next big thing.'
Gurman is also cautious of the supposed capabilities of the robot. Apple has reportedly stated that it wishes to create robots that can 'handle chores, like cleaning dishes in a sink', but Gurman deems it unlikely to achieve in this decade due to 'extraordinarily difficult engineering challenges.'
Apple’s robotics venture is being compared to Amazon’s AI-powered robot, Astro. Bearing a similar design, the $1,000 unit can execute similar actions like following you around the house.