Has Samsung finally cracked the code on household robots

Household robots have taken centre stage at CES 2025, where companies showcase their latest technology. RMIT expert, Dr Timothy Wiley, explains why it's Samsung we should be watching.

Dr Timothy Wiley, robotics expert

"A slew of new household consumer level robots have been showcased at global tech conference CES 2025, from variants of hockey puck-style cleaning robots (like SwitchBot), humanoid helpers (including Mirokaï with a fox-like face, and R2D3), and companion robots (like Jennie the robot dog and Aria the robot girlfriend). Companies are hoping these will finally gain traction where previous robots have failed.

"The unique standout this year is Samsung's ball-style Ballie. Ballie debuted in 2020 and has returned with far more functionality, front and rear facing cameras, and an innovative 1080p onboard projector that lets it render interactive buttons on almost any flat surface within reach.

"Outside of puck-style cleaning robots, the consumer robotic market has long struggled with 'form factor' - which means the size, shape, weight and design of a product.

"Extensive research in human-robot interaction shows that form factor matters a lot in robotics, perhaps even more than how good a robot is at its job.

"Robots that are 'too cute' get dismissed as toys, gimmicks, or can only find a home in the more limited education market.

"Humanoid robots scare people or create too many uncomfortable feelings of 'replacing people'.

"Adult-sized humanoid robots are too large, slow and impractical, while smaller humanoid designs fall back into the toys or educational domain.

"The quite popular dog-style robot (pioneered by Spot) are too industrial and confronting for the home environment.

"Companion robots have great social benefits, but also have limited functionality.

"Stationary robots, similar to LG's new AI hub, are glorified tablets or smart assistants, leaving consumers questioning their purpose compared to Alexa or Google Home.

"Many robots, including from big companies, have failed to sell long-term on the basis of their form factor.

"Ballie's ball-style shape and movement, aside from the clear parallels to Star Wars' BB-8 droid, bucks the trend of humanoid or animal forms, and shows that not all robots need an animated face.

"Ballie may have finally cracked the code for an assistant consumer robot. It doesn't try to be a human or a pet, and it strikes a balance between approachability without being a toy. Its projector and mobility encourages us to want to take it places, and being hands-free makes it more than a phone or tablet. Ballie could very well redefine consumer robotics."

Dr Timothy Wiley is Manager of RMIT's AI Innovation Lab, a lecturer in the School of Computing Technologies and lead of RMIT's RoboCup team. His research interests include autonomous robotics, human-robotic interaction and artificial intelligence.

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