Samsung Presents Ballie, A Ball-Shaped Companion Robot

Who said a robot should have two arms and two legs? Especially not Samsung. Monday evening, the Korean manufacturer presented its new companion robot and personal assistant: Ballie in the shape of a tennis ball. It even has the color yellow. Equipped with a camera, it moves around the house, monitors pets, manages connected devices in the house, etc. He even turns into a sports coach. It's hard not to think of the sympathetic droid from Star Wars, BB-8, watching him roll on the stage in the footsteps of H.S Kim, the CEO of Samsung.


With Ballie, Samsung is playing with originality. It is also a way to overcome the constraints associated with robots with two or four legs. Ballie has the advantage of stability for him: it also reflects the group’s strategy in the field of connected objects and health. Eventually, Ballie could become the manager of the house and all of its connected objects. It looks after both the comfort of the home, but also the health of its occupants.

Focus on health

The Korean manufacturer has also presented a new wellness coaching program. Like other competitors, including Apple, it focuses on the health field. The Korean is well equipped to tackle this field, with a wide range of connected products dedicated to the subject, starting with its watches. Two years ago, the group set up a fitness program for people suffering from a heart attack "Heart Wise", the idea being to offer a daily follow-up. Building on the results obtained, the group wants to continue to push its pawns in the field. To do this, he will rely on the integration of artificial intelligence into the connected objects themselves, which is a way to keep his health information for himself. Samsung therefore stands out strongly from its American competitors who rely on the Cloud for data storage and analysis.

The group explores various themes, including that of the connected city and the smart building.