Ready for a little yellow robot to follow you around? Samsung is betting that you are

During its CES 2020 keynote, which outlined its vision of new experiences through changes in people's lifestyles, Samsung unveiled Ballie, an AI-powered robot that the electronics giant sees as a companion for the home Imagine BB-8 from the latest Star Wars film, only with his head chopped off, but retaining his adorable purr

This version of Ballie was bright yellow, but perhaps Ballie will be available in a rainbow of colors

During the keynote, HS Kim, CEO of Samsung's Consumer Electronics Division, walked around the stage, Ballie following at a respectful distance As Kim changed directions, so did Ballie; Ballie also has a built-in camera that can detect your movements and keep track of what's happening around the house

Ballie is not a toy Kim said the robot knows you, supports you, and can take care of you He then showed a video of exactly what Samsung has in mind In that video, Ballie helps control smart home devices like shades and robot vacuums It prompts you to get out of bed and start exercising She can also transfer images of her dog or cat to her smartphone (probably one of Samsung's Galaxy devices) to check on her pet during the day Kim also touted Ballie as a potential companion for seniors living alone

(That video also featured "Waltz on the Beautiful Blue Danube," if I'm not mistaken You may remember it as an important part of the soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick's 2001 Hopefully, your interaction with Barry has a happier ending than your interaction with the AI in that film)

Artificial intelligence will be central to many of Ballie's features, but Samsung executives stressed during their keynote that what Ballie will not share with others is AI on the device

We still have many questions about what Samsung plans for Ballie, including the robot's price and release date And while the woman in the video seemed satisfied with her robot companion, we still need convincing as to whether an AI-powered croquet ball that monitors everything we do and every aspect of our lives is something we should put in our rooms We are

For the latest news and hands-on impressions from Las Vegas, be sure to check out our CES 2020 hub