The Samsung Ballie rolling robot could be the next generation of keeping toddlers entertained

At CES 2024, Samsung rolled out an old CES friend we haven’t seen in four years — Ballie! First seen at CES 2020, the rolling, AI-capable robot cruised around stage and captured hearts, but apparently it was a few years early, because the Samsung Ballie never saw a commercial release. With AI way more firmly entrenched in popular consciousness here in 2024, Samsung might be thinking it’s finally Ballie’s time.

First conceived of as a rolling smart home assistant, the cute little yellow Ballie Samsung showed off at this year’s show displays more advanced AI abilities than its predecessor. Unfortunately, Samsung only showed off Balllie on video — no on-stage demo — but what we saw in the video looked pretty fun! During the demo video, Ballie could be seen entertaining a dog with a bird video, projecting video calls on walls, and displaying workout sessions.

New to Ballie is a projector, which has some really neat tricks. Ballie can detect distance between the nearest wall and ambient lighting, adjusting picture settings accordingly. Not only that, it can detect the watcher’s posture and facial angle to hit the optimal viewing angle. We’re guessing this is going to be clutch for parents and other folks on toddler duty who need to keep the kiddos locked in on something for a spell.

With an emphasis on AI capabilities, Samsung Ballie sets out to be more than just a robot companion with some neat tricks. Imagine a robot that not only responds to your calls but greets you at the door and even learns your daily routines. Thanks to its built-in front and rear cameras, Ballie isn’t just rolling around; it’s analyzing its surroundings, understanding your habits, and changing its behavior to suit itself to your needs, with no tinkering needed on your part.

It’s also an obvious candidate to be a smart home hub. As Ballie navigates your home, it’ll act as a central hub to control various IoT devices like air conditioners, any of Samsung’s many smart kitchen appliances, and lights. Ballie itself can even dispense pet food! That extends into virtual assistant territory, allowing you to do things like send texts using voice commands.

But, let’s not get too carried away. Ballie has already not come out one time before! While the concept is undoubtedly intriguing, the execution and practicality are yet to be fully unveiled — and Samsung’s decision to present a video of Ballie at CES 2024 instead of a live on-stage demonstration only highlights these concerns.

Samsung Ballie availability and pricing

Samsung did not disclose details about the potential release date or pricing, or confirm that Ballie will be released commercially.