Bot Care leads a legion of new Samsung robots at CES 2019
The company's new robotic-based platform addresses health care, air quality, retail and fitness.
- Coauthor of Uninvested (Random House, 2015)
Samsung kicked off its CES 2019 press conference with its Bixby virtual assistant and ended it with an introduction of four new robotics initiatives, including Bot Care, a personal health care assistant that can handle an array of health monitoring tasks, some of which were demonstrated live on stage.
Read: Samsung pushes Bixby into robots, cars at CES 2019
The other programs unveiled included Samsung Bot Air, which uses sensors to monitor air quality and detect pollution sources, and Bot Retail, a platform that will let robotic assistants field customer questions and requests, and help out with ordering and payment chores. The company's GEMS platform promises to help athletes train and give support to people with mobility issues.
Yoon Lee, Samsung's SVP of Content and Services, Product Innovation, introduced the robotics platform at the end the company's keynote, echoing Steve Jobs' famous prompt of "one more thing." At that point, a white robot -- Bot Care -- rolled out on stage and engaged in a short conversation. Lee placed a finger on its digital face, and Bot Care checked his blood pressure and heart rate.
The Bot Care robot on stage with Samsung executives Yoon Lee and Gary Lee.
The introduction was mostly high-level and conceptual. Gary Lee, the head of Samsung's AI Center, characterized Bot Care as "a partner for everyday tasks" with the mission of keeping you and your family members healthy -- even if they don't live with you, suggesting that Bot Care can be monitored and controlled remotely.
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