LG to launch compact A bipedal robot It can move around your house freely. The AI-powered robot, which will debut at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, has a wide range of capabilities — from letting you know you've left the AC on while you're out, to watching over your pet while you're at work. Like standard smart home aids like Alexa or the Apple HomePod, LG's robot can tell you the weather and remind you to take your medications on time.
The robot is powered by Qualcomm's Robotics RB5 platform, which includes a combination of hardware and software that runs the bot's AI program. Some of these include the ability to recognize faces and voices, process the emotions of those around them, and engage in conversation. LG says the bot can greet you at your door, analyze your emotions and play music to boost your mood or lull you to sleep. It can even “emote” by changing its posture thanks to its articulated leg joints. While this is a nice feature, it has no practical use beyond making it accessible.
The robot has a camera on its face, a speaker and various sensors that give it the ability to move, talk and hear. It can measure indoor air quality and temperature, however, it's not clear if it can actually connect to a smart home system and control your thermostat. LG has yet to respond to this and has said that the price of the robot will be announced later.
Since the bot can roam freely, you can program it to watch over your pets while you're gone and send your smartphone notifications “if any unusual activity is detected.” Using the same monitoring tools, the bot can act as a mobile “security guard” and send you notifications if there's movement at home while you're away. Or more likely, let you know you've left the kitchen lights on.
