Samsung’s Ballie, LG's Q9 AI robots steal the show at IFA 2024

BERLIN – Ballie, the artificial intelligence-powered companion robot developed by Samsung Electronics Co., has come a long way since the South Korean tech giant debuted it at CES 2024 in January.

Nine months later, the yellow, ball-shaped robot reappeared internationally at IFA 2024, Europe’s largest home electronics exhibition.

At the Ballie Show, which Samsung organized a day before the opening of IFA 2024 on Saturday, the robot showed off what an innovative smart home AI agent can do – move, learn, comprehend and engage in complex conversations.

The intelligent device verbally interacts with the user and even expresses emotions.

At the Ballie Show, the robot home butler demonstrated personalized services, closely following the user and carrying out commands.

When the demonstrator asked Ballie to “call Amy,” it called her on speakerphone mode.

When asked about Berlin’s tourist attractions, the robot, equipped with a projector, displayed lit-up photos of famous tourist attractions such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and Museum Island on the floor and offered detailed information, including how to get there.

When asked about the weather, Ballie said the current temperature was 26 degrees Celsius – good to go out, but advised that the user go out with an umbrella, mentioning a high chance of rain between 5 and 7 p.m.

At home, Ballie’s role is not limited to controlling household appliances and managing home chores. It can also attend to the needs of seniors and pets, according to Samsung.

Samsung plans to start selling Ballie before the year’s end.

LG’S Q9 ROBOT

Samsung’s crosstown rival LG Electronics Inc. also showcased its innovative robot assistant robot at IFA 2024.

Inside its booth set up at the exhibition center at the City Cube, Berlin, the LG butler robot, codenamed Q9, was moving around, armed with autonomous driving technology.

Unlike Ballie, which moves on wheels, Q9 walks upright, allowing it to navigate 2-centimeter-high thresholds or thick carpets with ease, according to LG.

Unveiled earlier this year, Q9, which LG dubbed “the mobile AI home hub,” has evolved with generative AI. It now expresses emotions by smiling or winking through its screen.

During a demonstration, Q9 was shown the book “Anne of Green Gables.” It then recognized the book and began reading a main passage out loud.

When a demonstrator drew a picture of a cat and the moon on the tablet PC attached to Q9 and asked it to make up a story, the robot created a story and read it out.

LG, which plans to commercialize Q9 next year, said the robot butlers will also serve as a helper for seniors or pets at home.

According to market research firm Global Market Insights, the household robot market is forecast to grow from $10 billion in 2023 to $53 billion by 2032.

Write to Eui-Myung Park at uimyung@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.