The JetBot 90 AI+, unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show Monday, can automatically empty its dustbin and even keep an eye on pets. The bot uses an object recognition algorithm to try to identify objects and map the safest, most efficient route. The vacuum is one of several smart home devices that Samsung unveiled at today’s show. AI is “about being more personal and predictive,” Sebastian Seung, the head of Samsung Research, said during Monday’s virtual press conference. “It’s about benefiting you every day by being a core part of the products and services you enjoy. AI is a transformational technology. When AI is involved, it creates something entirely new.”
Self-Driving Car Tech Comes to Your Vacuum
To navigate your home, the JetBot uses the same type of laser-based lidar featured on some self-navigating cars. It also comes with a video camera. When it’s done cleaning, the JetBot automatically heads back to its home base, where it empties the dirt, dust, and hair it has collected into a bag. While Samsung touts the JetBot’s self-navigating abilities, you also can direct the JetBot 90 AI from your phone. An app lets you tell the bot to keep away from areas where you don’t want it to clean. The JetBot also can be connected to a camera to keep an eye on your pets and clean up after them if they make a mess. In introducing the products, Samsung acknowledged the effects of the pandemic that looms over the tech conference. “Our world looks different, and many of you have been faced with a new reality—one where, among other things, your home has taken on a greater significance,” Seung said. “Our innovations are designed to provide more personal and more intuitive experiences that express your personality. We’re hard at work to bring you next-generation innovation, with AI as the core enabler, for your better tomorrow.”
Bot Handy Can Unload Your Dishwasher
Seung also talked about Samsung’s Bot Handy, under development to help do chores around the house. The bot has an extendable gripper arm to load the dishwasher, set the table, and pour drinks. Cameras on the bot’s head and arm work in sync with AI to identify objects of various sizes, shapes, and weights. Bot Handy can supposedly determine what items are made of and use the right amount of force to pick them up. There’s no release date yet for the Bot Handy, but Seung said that the JetBot should be available in the U.S. in the first half of this year. Samsung also announced Monday that a new cooking feature would be available in the app that controls its smart appliances. SmartThings Cooking recommends recipes that fit your tastes and dietary restrictions, and then build weekly meal plans to match. As you’re cooking, it sends recipe instructions directly to synced Samsung cooking devices. The company claims that the app will order groceries, and the Front Control Slide-in Range can automatically preheat, while SmartThings Cooking guides you through meal preparation. “Families around the world embraced smarter cooking and streamlined meal planning with Samsung’s Family Hub,” John Herrington, senior vice president and general manager of home appliances, said in a news release. “We are proud to bring these features to more than 33 million people who use the SmartThings app—and we hope to inspire those who are cooking and experimenting, more than ever.” With so many people staying home during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s great to see more robots coming to help with the chores. I can’t wait for the Bot Handy to unload my dishwasher. Want more? See all our coverage of CES 2021 right here.
