Samsung, Segway, Doosan Robotics and More Robotics News from CES

From Samsung’s roaming companion robot to Doosan Robotics’ trash-sorting robot, here are some of the best robots on display at CES 2024.

Samsung’s AI-Enabled Companion Robot

Samsung displayed its Ballie robot at this year’s CES, designed as a mix of a roaming security robot, pet carer and companion for your home.

Ballie was first unveiled at CES 2020, but it has undergone some changes since then and seems closer than ever to commercialization. 

The small-scale robot now comes with a built-in projector, allowing it to play videos and stream content for users. It can follow users around their home, respond to voice commands and connect to other smart home products, acting as a smart home hub capable of performing household tasks on request.

“From projecting workout videos on the wall or floor in an optimal size to playing music and answering phone calls, Ballie makes life at home more productive and enjoyable,” Samsung said in a statement. 

Ballie also has a built-in AI-powered voice assistant, cameras, speakers and internet connectivity.

Segway’s Robotic Lawnmower

Segway, a developer of robotics solutions, unveiled its new autonomous robotic lawnmower, the Navimow i, at CES.

The wireless lawnmower comes equipped with Exact Fusion Locating System 2.0 for autonomous navigation and real-time kinematic positioning for more accurate location tracking. 

Related:Segway Unveils Robotic Lawnmower at CES 2024

The lawnmower series also comes with an AI-powered mapping assistant, allowing the robot to visually map its surroundings, analyze where it needs to go and avoid any obstacles. 

Using a mobile-based app, users can manage and monitor the mower, schedule mow times and set “systematic cutting patterns.” Navimow i is set to reach commercialization in the first quarter of this year. 

Ottonomy’s Automatic Delivery Robots 

California startup Ottonomy brought some of its automated delivery robots to CES, in particular its Ottobot smart locker and drink-dispensing robot the Ottobot Brew.

The Ottobot Locker acts as a mobile locker for clients, sent to specific locations on command to assist with last-mile deliveries, while the Ottobot Brew is a mobile beverage service, that serves drinks to customers on request and is intended more for hospitality locations, such as stadiums, hotels and casinos. 

Ottonomy’s delivery robots can carry up to 250 pounds and are connected using Verizon’s network. These robots have been traveling on public sidewalks in the U.S. and Europe since last year and the company is now working on creating a global network of these roaming robots. 

Doosan Robotics’ Trash-Sorting Robot

Doosan Robotics’ portfolio of AI-enabled collaborative robots (cobots) was also on display at CES. 

One such cobot was its AI-powered recycling robot “Oscar the Sorter,” which autonomously learns to identify products and sorts them, even recognizing crushed items without human intervention. 

Doosan also used the event to unveil “Otto Matic,” a depalletizing and palletizing solution designed to handle unstructured and random-sized boxes, which was developed in partnership with computer vision technology provider AiV.

Visitors to Doosan’s booth were also able to order drinks from its bartending cobot Mixmaster Moodie, powered by Microsoft’s ChatGPT and integrated with Tetote, a soft robot hand powered by bendy rubber artificial muscle that uses visual and audio cues to make and serve cocktails.  

Credit: Doosan Robotics

Mobinn’s Stair-Climbing Delivery Robot 

Mobinn, a Hyundai spinoff, showcased its autonomous delivery robot at this year’s event. 

What sets the small robot apart from other delivery designs is the fact that it comes with flexible wheels and an adjustable wheel axis, allowing it to navigate stairs. The goods are held in a self-leveling box so food and drink don’t spill while the robot climbs or descends steps.  

The robot is semi-autonomous, meaning it can be manually controlled but it has sensors and a lidar-based mapping system to enable self-driving navigation. 

Tests of the wheeled robot are reportedly ongoing in Korea, so it’s still some way off from commercialization.

The robot was made a CES Innovation Award honoree.

Shift Robotics’ ‘Moonwalker’ Robotic Shoes

Robotic shoe developer Shift Robotics demonstrated its latest “Moonwalker” robotic shoes at this year’s event.

The shoes leverage AI to measure a user’s step 100 times per second, monitoring an individual’s gait to provide personalized support to a wearer to improve performance and safety, with a particular focus on users who spend the majority of their work days on their feet.

Designed with several wheels at the base, the shoes can swap between static and wheeled, working like regular shoes or roller skates depending on the terrain and user’s choice.

According to Shift Robotics, the shoes can increase a wearer's walking speed by up to 250%.

e-con Systems’ Robotics Computing Platform for Industrial AMR and Outdoor Robots

 e-con Systems and edge AI semiconductor company Ambarella announced the launch of a Robotics Computing Platform (eRCP) at CES, designed for industrial autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and outdoor robots.

The partners said the platform was “specifically designed to meet the requirements of the robotics industry,” leveraging Ambarella's edge AI system on chip to provide a holistic platform for robotic developers and help accelerate their time to market.

The eRCP is a fully functional autonomous moving robot equipped with an array of sensors, multiple RGB cameras, 2D Lidar, IMU, Ultrasonic, ToF depth camera and motor control interfaces. 

With all these features, the partners said the platform provides the “versatile building blocks” needed for innovation in the robotics industry.

"Through the fusion of e-con Systems' cutting-edge camera portfolio…with Ambarella’s expertise in processing platforms and cutting-edge algorithms, e-con is addressing customer challenges in robotics applications while pioneering the future of comprehensive vision solutions," said Ashok Babu, e-con Systems’ CEO.

Credit: Ambarella