Samsung’s AI-Powered Ballie Robot Is the Future of Personal Home Assistance

By in Design

Samsung’s AI-Powered Ballie Robot Is the Future of Personal Home Assistance

Attend enough CES shows and you’re guaranteed to feel a sense of deja vu. That’s because many concepts revealed at the annual consumer electronics trade show are in reality years ahead of becoming a product – proof of concept designs – and they come back to reappear over and over as various iterations. Samsung’s Ballie falls within that category, an AI-powered personal home assistant that rolled into our hearts way back in 2020. The spherical robot has returned for CES 2024, this time with a more impressive array of household functions serving family members, right down to the four-legged variety.

Compared to the simple spherical launch design, Samsung’s newly updated Ballie robot rolls back into the spotlight with a much more polished and capable 3-wheeled mobile design. It ditches the mostly faceless, Dune stillsuit ribbing of its predecessor for a form reminiscent of the Pixar-designed robot that Samsung’s device rhymes with – with a colorful dash of Among Us thrown in.

Person placing yellow 3-wheel Samsung AI robot Ballie onto desk to use as a projector

Most noticeable is Ballie’s front facing monocular visage that gives the AI-powered assistant its “face.” It’s also a port from where Ballie can project images from to communicate or to be used as a mobile video projector that can be aimed at walls, floors, or ceilings via an onboard projector.

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Ballie is being promoted as an autonomous personal home assistant, one that can greet you at the door with the enthusiasm of a beloved canine companion. Your pet may be cuter, but Samsung hopes to make AI robot companions an invaluable member of the household by interconnecting them with their own network of home appliances while also operating as a mobile monitoring system.

Golden retriever looking at yellow 3-wheel Samsung AI robot Ballie on floor projecting video of a hummingbird onto kitchen floor.

Yellow 3-wheel Samsung AI robot Ballie sending signal to network compatible pet food dispenser

Samsung’s CES presentation conjures situations where Ballie is tasked to dispense treats via a connected compatible pet food dispenser (cool!), while also keeping the dog entertained using projected video (questionable).

A small pop-up remote control emerges from the top of Ballie to send signals to turn manage lights, air filtration units, laundry, and other smart home devices.

Samsung AI robot Ballie projecting architectural interior renderings of a supermarket onto desk for review

Ballie is also presented as a home office assistant, summoned to aid in video conference calls and projecting images during collaborative work sessions.

We’re old enough to remember the Sony Aibo and the brief excitement it created with its promises of companionship and robotic services. AI and robotics have evolved considerably since those early days of rudimentary electronics, and an entire emerging market of AI-powered home assistants and other partial-to-fully autonomous robots will pervade spaces interconnected by their devices and appliances. Whether it will be a cute little yellow Samsung droid is yet to be seen, noting the Korean manufacturer has yet to reveal pricing, specs, or availability.

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Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Considering surroundings with public art

By in Sculpture

Considering surroundings with public art
Griffin Loop is the brain behind the resting giant paper airplane in Osage Park in Bentonville. Ozarks at Large’s Kyle Kellams met with Loop to discuss his inspirations, expression and how he takes advantage of the unexpected through his pieces.

Presentation explores the work of early photographer in Alexandria

By in Photography

Presentation explores the work of early photographer in Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA — Taking a photograph today is as easy as whipping out your cell phone, but before the turn of the last century, it was a large-format affair involving glass plates.

One local early photographer was N. J. Trenham, who worked in the Alexandria area from 1875 to 1903.

On Thursday, Jan. 11, as part of the Hot Chocolate and History series, two albums featuring Trenham’s work were explored in a presentation at the Discovery Middle School. The series is organized in part by Alexandria Community Education.

Trenham 2.jpg

The Congregational Church on Seventh Avenue was one of the featured images at the recent Hot Chocolate and History presentation.

Contributed image / Douglas County Historical Society

Brittany Johnson,

Douglas County Historical Society

‘s executive director, said many of the images Trenham took were used as a way to draw people into the area, either to live or to visit.

The first album comes from 1876, and the second from 1889.

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The first album features more documentary-style photographs, with pictures of farms and churches, while the second features some “very intentional tourist advertising” placing Alexandria at the center of the famous Park Region area, Johnson said.

“We’re going to be talking about, this is a green space perfect for picknicking, there are lakes full of fish,” she said.

One description of Alexandria from that time reads, “It is a neat and attractive little city of 2,500 inhabitants. The surrounding country is about one-third timber, one-third prairie and one-third water. These diversified topographical features make it an inviting home for all kinds of game, from the deer which abound in the forests to the inhabitants of the innumerable lakes and streams. This country is a natural home for geese, ducks (and) prairie chickens.”

The sales pitch must have worked, because all of the prairie chickens had been hunted by 1920, Johnson said.

Trenham 3.jpg

This view of Glenwood dates from 1889 and was taken by photographer N. J. Trenham.

Contributed photo / Douglas County Historical Society

Another photograph showed a train, sending the message that Alexandria is easy to get to, Johnson said.

“It’s easy to get here,” she said. “You don’t have to come on that bumpy stage road anymore. You literally just grab your trunk (and) hop on a train.”

Other photographs showed people engaged in summer pastimes like fishing.

“One of my favorite tourist broadsides of the area describes how women are just as successful at fishing in Douglas County lakes,” Johnson said.

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Trenham stayed in Alexandria for almost 30 years, and in that time owned galleries at several different locations, one of which was on the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and H Street, or Hawthorne Street.

Trenham 4.jpg

This photo shows attendees of the State Firemen Association’s convention, which was held in Alexandria in June 1889.

Contributed photo / Douglas County Historical Society

By 1900, a new era of photography was beginning, with the proliferation of smaller cameras and post cards, and Trenham’s style of photography was largely phased out. He closed his final gallery in 1903.

In 1913, Trenham and his wife moved to Florida, although his sons were involved in local businesses for several more decades, Johnson said. He died in 1924 in Fulford, Fla., about a month shy of his 84th birthday.

The albums he left behind are now part of the collection at the Douglas County Historical Society.

By
Travis Gulbrandson

Travis Gulbrandson covers several beats, including Osakis School Board and Osakis City Council, along with the Brandon-Evansville School Board. His focus will also be on crime and court news.

Make a Statement With Haldane’s Contour Day Bed

By in Design

Make a Statement With Haldane’s Contour Day Bed

Mentally out of office, dreaming of sun-filled days and owning enough beachfront property to recreate this setup of the Contour Daybed. Haldane’s architectural statement piece features circular geometries and oversized details, inspired by organic shapes and, fantastically, body positivity. Designed by Haldane Martin, the Contour Daybed instantly upgrades the luxury level of any alfresco situation through its impressive color, form, and materials.

The designer’s organic approach is evident in the object’s lines. The outdoor piece is also a nod to Ubald Klug’s layered Terrazza sofa from the 1970s. Martin started there, working his way through to a fresh prototype that would ultimately become the daybed. The canopy is a definitive highlight, inspired by a honeymoon visit to Mauritius, where these types of furnishings are common.

modern outdoor daybed on the coast

Available in eight fabrics and 22 powder-coated colors, the choices offered remain consistent with Haldane’s palette. The hues reference Cape Town’s triple union of sea, land, and sky, while greens and pale browns of the West Coast provide even more inspiration.

modern outdoor daybed on the coast

The Contour Daybed’s framework is constructed using Marine grade stainless steel (SS316) tubing. To maintain its luxury and durability, Haldane uses Crevin Fiji, a high-end jacquard weave blend that features a unique texture, is cleanable by bleach, and UV-resistant. It performs great outdoors against the elements, thanks to an internal laminated water-resistant lining.

detail of modern outdoor daybed

The upholstery foam is resilient and high quality as well, providing the daybed’s seating with shape that holds. For the shade-providing canopy, Haldane turned to fabric by Screentex, specifically an open-basket weave that’s long-lasting while ensuring optimum transparency and control of natural light.

detail of modern outdoor daybed

detail of modern outdoor daybed

detail of modern outdoor daybed

modern outdoor daybed on the coast

modern outdoor daybed on the coast

To learn more about the Contour Daybed, visit haldane.co.za.

Photography by Emma Jude Jackson.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

Through Delicate Glass Sprouts, Nataliya Vladychko Emphasizes the Wild Resiliency of Seeds

By in Art World News

Through Delicate Glass Sprouts, Nataliya Vladychko Emphasizes the Wild Resiliency of Seeds

“Triticum” (2020), wooden platform and flame-shaped borosilicate glass,
26 x 27 centimeters.
Photo by Steven van Kooijk. All images © Nataliya Vladychko, shared with permission

“After the fire brigades rescued the London Natural History Museum from German incendiaries, Albizia silk-tree seeds bloomed on their herbarium sheets, liberated from two hundred years of dormancy by the precise combination of flame and water,” writes Daniel Mason in an essay about thriving urban flora. The post-Blitz surprise, which became a beacon of hope amid WWII’s destruction, confirmed that nature is fiercely resilient and loyal to starting anew.

This moment is also one artist Nataliya Vladychko returns to as she sculpts spindly specimens in glass, capturing both their delicacy and strength in a single form. Beginning with a drawing or watercolor rendering, Vladychko translates the early stages of common crops like mung beans and wheat into delicate sculptures. The initial sketch determines the artist’s twists and turns at the glass burner and allows her to “concentrate better on the movement, plasticity, and colour composition I find appropriate for a particular model,” she says. “For me, the little plants are independent individuals who gain their own identity during the making process.”

Displayed on sheets or nested inside egg-shaped porcelain forms, the tiny specimens sprout wriggling roots, leaves, and vivid buds colored with deep reds and purples. “My aim in making a germplasm is not to mimic nature but to interpret how I see and experience it,” she says. “Playfully balanced compositions of glass germs that occupy their own space emerge. Admiration of the beauty and strength of a plant sets my visual process to work!”

Explore an archive of Vladychko’s botanical drawings and sculptures on her site.

 

five white porcelain slabs hang on wall with small glass sprouts in their centers

“Vigna radiata” (2023),
porcelain and flameworking glass, 70 x 14 centimeters. Photo by Hein van Liempd

two images, both of spindly glass sprouts with winding roots and green leaves

Left: “Dance” (2020), flame-shaped borosilicate glass, approximately 12 x 4 centimeters. Photo by Steven van Kooijk. Right: Detail of “Vigna radiata” (2020), flame-shaped borosilicate glass,
about 6 x 3 centimeters.​
Photo by Steven van Kooijk

two small glass seedlings with red berries and green leaves

Detail of “Dance” (2020), flame-shaped borosilicate glass, approximately 12 x 4 centimeters. Photo by Steven van Kooijk.

two images, both of small glass seedlings inside white porcelain nests

Left: “no title” (2022),
flameworked glass and porcelain, 17 x 12 x 6 centimeters. Right: “no title” (2022),
flameworked glass and porcelain, 13 x 8 x 4 centimeters. Photos by Hein van Liempd

five white porcelain slabs hang on wall with small glass sprouts in their centers

“Wheat” (2022), porcelain and flameworking glass, 70 x 14 centimeters.
Photo by Hein van Liempd

small glass seedling sprout from spindly roots on a white backdrop

“Vigna radiata” (2020), flame-shaped borosilicate glass,
60 x 50 centimeters.​
Photo by Steven van Kooijk

a hand bound worn book with red ribbon in the center and cursive covering the pages. a cutout reveals a small glass seedling nested into the pages

“Me” (2021),
flameworking glass, drawing and painting, laser cut, hand-bound book, 21 x 18 x 5 centimeters. Photo by the artist

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Through Delicate Glass Sprouts, Nataliya Vladychko Emphasizes the Wild Resiliency of Seeds appeared first on Colossal.

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