A small, free-moving bipedal robot will be available for purchase from LG. The AI-powered robot will make its premiere at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. It can do a lot of things, including watch your pet while you're at work or remind you that you left the air conditioner on while you were away. In addition to providing weather updates and medication reminders, LG's robot may act as a fixed smart home assistant similar to Apple HomePod or Alexa.
Qualcomm's Robotics RB5 Platform powers the robot; it consists of a combination of hardware and software that powers the AI algorithm of the bot. Its capacity to identify faces and sounds, interpret the feelings of those around it, and carry on conversations are only a few of them. According to LG, the bot will be able to answer the door, assess your mood, and play music to either put you to sleep or put you in a good mood. Because of its movable leg joints, it can even "emote" by altering its stance. It's a cute addition, but other than making it friendly, it might not be that useful.
In addition, the robot has a speaker, a camera in its face, and other sensors all over it that allow it to talk, listen, and navigate. It's unclear if it can be connected to a smart home system and regulate your thermostat, but it can also assess temperature and indoor air quality. LG has stated that the robot's pricing will be revealed at a later date, although it has not yet replied to comments on this.
The bot may be programmed to watch over your pets while you're away and notify you on your smartphone "if any unusual activity is detected," thanks to its freedom of movement. The bot can function as a mobile "security guard" and notify you if there is movement in the house while you are away by using the same monitoring capabilities. Alternatively, more likely just inform you that the kitchen lights are still on.
