Bring on the robot butlers
Robots promise to provide a helping hand around the house as AI personal assistants make strides
“HOUSEHOLD ITEMS ARE NO LONGER JUST SMART – THEY ARE MOBILE AND HAVE PERSONALITIES”
For a long time, innovations have focused on making us more connected with each other. Now, we are becoming more connected to our things. Household items are no longer just ‘smart’ – they are adaptive, mobile and some even have what you might call a personality.
Take Samsung’s Ballie, the new ball-like personal assistant concept that was launched at CES. On paper, it’s a voice-assistant that is able to follow you around your home. It keeps an eye on things while you’re away, watches the dog make a mess and gently alerts you to ‘clean up in the living room’, and reminds you to water your favourite pot plant.
Taking a more human form is UBTECH’s Walker home butler. Dubbed a ‘humanoid service robot’, Walker surpasses home assistants like Ballie simply because it can actually perform useful tasks.
Walker is able to pick up and hand over a basket of shopping from a trolley, open a bottle of cola and pour it into a glass, and even perform a yoga routine. It’s a strange thing to behold. As Walker is able to go up and down stairs, it is a huge deal when it comes to supporting the elderly and those with disabilities. Accessibility is where these home robots will truly shine. In fact, Samsung designed their Bot Chef with exactly this in mind. Two robotic arms on the kitchen counter make up this smart sous chef, referred to as a ‘co-bot’ – a collaborative robot designed to assist, rather than taking over. While currently just a concept, Samsung is aiming to make the Bot Chef affordable. Bon appetit.