At CES 2024, Samsung unveiled a revamped version of its sunny yellow autonomous driving robot, Ballie. This bowling ball-shaped robot, dubbed a "at-home assistant," can show the most recent news articles, play soothing music, take phone calls, and more. Perhaps I'm just the kind of person that gets sucked into whimsical things quickly, but this tiny guy totally made me the opposite of a contrarian. Yes, it's a useful gadget in certain aspects, but will a wider audience adopt it? Arguable (albeit most likely not).

Ballie has the ability to make phone calls and see events on your calendar. In addition, Samsung may display videos of your oven or refrigerator's interior as well as the sound of your doorbell ringing. Ballie is essentially a mobile smart home hub that you may use to show items anytime you'd like.

Ballie's integrated spatial LiDAR sensor and 1080p projector are two of its most impressive features. It will therefore display videos and conference calls onto the wall, the floor, or any other solid surface. Additionally, it projects the word "Welcome" to welcome you at the door, which I think is quite adorable and endearing. In fact, you can even visit your pet when you're away from home. Clips of anything Ballie observes in its immediate surroundings, including your cherished dog, will be sent to you. In the unlikely event that someone falls, the little robot will even purportedly phone for assistance.

Ballie can be thought of as a smartphone equivalent of Alexa or Google Home. Ballie has the functionalities of the majority of intelligent assistants. It can text your best friends, turn on and off the lights, and more. Ballie can follow you around like a curious cat and has a projector, so that's really the only significant difference. There's nothing quite like having a cunning bowling ball stalk you.

When Ballie first came out in 2020, it resembled a Lego tennis ball more than a robotic device. The design of the 2024 model is more refined. In addition, it has a more endearing appearance than its predecessor, which makes me feel real affinity for it.

There are still two unanswered questions: How much will Ballie cost and when will it be for sale? As of right now, there's no information on either of those things, but I anticipate it will be expensive. For instance, the enormously expensive $1,599.99 Amazon's Astro robot is expected to be a direct rival to Samsung's Ballie.