Samsung Unveils Household Chore Robot at CES 2021

This year, the annual Consumer Electronics Show is testing whether the magic of an event known for generating buzz over beta and prototype gadgetry will be lost in an all-virtual format. And while tens of thousands of square feet of Las Vegas convention center aren’t crawling with robots this year, there’s still been some excitement generated by the innovation-heavy event, even if it’s just video footage.

On the first day of CES 2021, Samsung – known for its projects in robotics – unveiled a new robot that perhaps comes closer than we’ve ever come to a real Jetson’s-style Rosie the Robot, minus the apron.

It’s called Bot Handy, and this robot uses an extendable grippy arm that is able to take control of some basic household tasks like loading the dishwasher and pouring a round of drinks. Artificial intelligence features help Handy identify objects and assess the best way to grab them based on their weight and sturdiness, meaning it can probably set the table without breaking your plates.

Samsung has also revamped its personal assistant robot, Bot Care, if you need another object in your life to nudge you into (or out of) specific activities. For example, Bot Care can offer reminders to stretch your legs and walk around the house when you’ve been working too long. This bot was originally launched with health care in mind and was designed to measure vitals and gauge stress levels in its human subject. Samsung’s revamp suggests it can now do more to help assist users who might need a companion as much as a health coach.

But you’ll have to wait a bit before you can get your hands on your own task-seeking robot, as the launch timeline on these two is still TBD. For now, Samsung is offering a smart vacuum that’s due to hit the U.S. market fairly soon. And while autonomous vacs may not generate more than a yawn, this one actually doubles as a home monitoring device and uses Lidar to navigate around items as small as cables.