IT Home reported on January 6 that after many appearances and improvements, Samsung's highly anticipated AI companion robot Ballie has finally confirmed the launch time. The yellow robot, which was first unveiled in 2020 and received a major upgrade in 2024, is expected to be officially released in the first half of 2025.
IT House noted that Ballie still maintains its signature bright yellow look, with wheels on the bottom for easy movement around the home. It has a large number of sensors and a projector that can be used for gaming, displaying query results, and even projecting movies on various surfaces.
In the media presentation, Ballie glides smoothly on a pre-set wooden surface, demonstrating his ability to move flexibly. Its front-facing projector has been upgraded to a Full HD triple-laser projector, and the projection quality is said to be close to that of the Samsung The Premiere 5 laser projector. It is worth mentioning that Ballie is equipped with the world's first switchable lens projector, which is capable of both close and long distance projection. This means that it can display operating options on the ground as needed, or project navigation information or movies onto the wall.
Ballie supports voice control and has four built-in far-field microphones, allowing users to simply say "Hey Ballie" to wake up. It senses the environment through two cameras, front and rear (2K camera on the rear and 4K camera on the front), as well as a variety of sensors including LiDAR and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors.
Ballie is a voice-controlled robot positioned as an AI companion robot that can glide freely around the home, responding to the user's needs at any time. Ballie will also integrate with other devices for device control functions. During the demo, Ballie was asked to turn on the connected lights and gaming monitor.
Ballie's projection feature automatically adjusts to the scene, and users can also manually specify the projection position, or even request a larger projection screen when watching a movie.
Commenting on Ballie's development journey, Lydia Cho, Head of Home Entertainment Products at Samsung, explains, "We've been working hard to perfect this product to make sure it's brought to market at the right time, with the right features, and with the right concept. That's why the development process takes a long time, but I think there's never been a better time for us to launch VisionAI. "
Cho emphasizes that the device can be personalized to the user's lifestyle and focuses on improving human-machine interaction. "We think it's the perfect companion for all your needs," she says, noting that it can tell users about the weather, where they want to go, their dietary needs, their children's homework, and even their schedules.
Samsung promises that Ballie will be available in the first half of 2025 in English, Spanish, and Korean. But the company hasn't disclosed pricing, exact feature specifications, or specific regions where it will be available.