Samsung could be working on a robot designed to play and clean up after pets

Samsung could be working on a pet-centered version of Ballie, the prototype robot companion the company showcased at CES 2024.

The Korean tech giant filed a new patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and it includes 24 pages of details about the interesting robotic ball. The patent was published on September 19 and describes a spherical mobile robot that has a rotating mechanism that enables its movement, along with a storage space to hold smelly materials. Moreover, the storage space has a passage the robot can use to release the smell with the help of an integrated system that can direct airflow.

Additionally, the robot is equipped with an array of sensors that are designed to detect nearby objects and adjust the smell being released from the robot based on how close it is to the objects. Furthermore, the robot also monitors the weight of the smelly material and its acidity levels. Users can receive alerts from the robot when its time to replace its storage compartment.

5

5

5

"Recently, in addition to those that serve as assistants to increase users' convenience indoor, mobile robots capable of playing with pets are also being developed," said Samsung

5

Samsung's Ballie

The patent also describes a feature called "touch play" that can be set by the user. The robot uses its smell sensors and storage space to its advantage by releasing pet-attracting odors based on the distance the robot is away from the pet. Once the pet is attracted, the robot spins, and then the robot moves away and releases a more pleasant odor with the goal of keeping the pet engaged.

"When left alone indoors, a pet may feel emotionally anxious due to loneliness and missing its owner. Accordingly, continuous research efforts have been made to methods for taking care of pets not to experience emotional anxiety even when they are not with their owners," explained Samsung

It should be noted that Samsung's patent filing doesn't mean the company is releasing this product, as it could simply be a technology demonstration just like Ballie was at CES 2024.