Robots being developed with artificial intelligence kicked off the all-virtual CES 2021.
Samsung showed it is developing a robot with AI to recognize and pick up objects in various sizes, useful for setting a table or putting dishes in a dishwasher.
Called Samsung Bot Handy, it can tell the difference between the materials used in various objects to know the force needed to move objects, the South Korean tech company showed media in a video preview on Monday, the day before most events kick off at CES 2021.
Samsung also showed another robot in development called the Bot Care which uses AI to recognize a person’s behavior, acting as a robotic assistant with a machine-generated voice to call out reminders of upcoming meetings. Samsung didn’t say when the Bot Handy or Bot Care would ship to buyers.
Another robot with AI, one that is coming to the U.S. in the first half of 2021, is the JetBot 90 AI+ . It is a vacuum clear that relies on LiDAR and 3D sensor to avoid small objects. It can be combined with a SmartThings app to assist with home monitoring.
Samsung showed how the JetBot can use its internal camera to monitor pets. SmartThings Pet can be connected to other devices to automatically feed pets or turn on lights at night.
Normally, Samsung uses CES to show off new refrigerators and TVs, which were only briefly mentioned in its presentation. Samsung said its newest TVs will include a Quantum AI processor that can upscale HD content to a pristine 8K resolution.
Also Samsung announced Galaxy Upcycling at Home to allow Galaxy phone users to update an older Galaxy phone to repurpose it as a child care monitor or pet care remote control. Samsung didn’t announce any new phones on Monday, but has set January 14 for its next Galaxy Unpacked event to do so.
Focusing on life at home with COVID-19 forcing work from home and education from home, Samsung announced SmartThings Cooking with a meal planner that uses AI to recommend meals for the week and a Health Trainer to combine with 2021 Samsung TVs. One feature will analyze a person’s posture in real time like a personal trainer.
CES 2021 officially kicks off with a keynote by Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg at 6:30 EST on Monday.
In addition to Samsung, media also heard from Bosch earlier Monday about its initiatives to combine AI with IoT. One project will be to send AI technology in small shoebox-sized robots to the moon as part of NASA’s Tipping Point program.
In collaboration with Astrobotic, WiBotic and the University of Washington, Bosch will be developing the CubeRover robots to autonomously navigate the moon’s surface. The project is expected to be demonstration-ready by 2023.
