Of all the major tech companies headquartered in South Korea, Samsung has all the appearance of a leader in robotics because of its recent publicized initiatives in artificial intelligence.
However, LG Electronics is on the verge of stealing the spotlight from Samsung — at least in this area — after the company announced that it will be unveiling three robots at CES 2017 to showcase its innovations in the AI field.
Not Just A Smart Vacuum Cleaner
As previously announced, Samsung will be unveiling a smart vacuum cleaner called PowerBot VR7000. That is the only automated machine so far in its stable that roughly resembles robotic technology.
LG has subtly underscored this. In a press statement, it explained that yes, the company also has an automated vacuum cleaner, the LG HOM-BOT. However, this device is not the only star of the show.
The company declared that it is ready to show off three new non-cleaning robots, which include the Hub Robot, another machine that can tend the yard or even do a bit of gardening, and a fleet of mechanicals that will serve different functions in public spaces.
"By leveraging powerful analytical processing power, LG's robotic lineup will be able to navigate complex environments and decipher the most efficient and effective path to accomplish tasks, making people's lives easier at every touch-point," LG said.
Hub Robot
Based on LG's pronouncement, it seems that the Hub Robot is more like the devices outfitted with smart assistant technologies available today, such as the Google Home and Amazon Echo. However, LG indicated that there is more to the Hub Robot.
The company, for instance, stressed that the robot will "double" as a smart home gateway and personal assistant for its users. The device could possibly roam around as well since it is programmed to interact and work with other smart appliances at home.
Public Robots
LG has not given any details about this robot or range of robots. It only stated that these will be designed for different functions and primarily employed to assist people in public spaces. There is even the possibility that these robots are mere versions of the Hub Robot and the robotic gardener.
Nevertheless, the devices could prove to be interesting. At this stage, this technology recalls other innovations that are used for the same objective. For instance, there is the case of Pepper, the humanoid robot now being employed by SoftBank to interact with its clients, providing useful information as well as entertainment.
