Samsung’s new AI robot looks suspiciously like BB-8

[Kintor]

So, I watching a livestream of Samsung’s conference at CES and this thing showed up:



I can’t help but wonder what recent works of sci-fi may have influenced Ballie’s design. Now I know that there was a BB-8 toy a couple of years ago but this is the real thing. It’s an AI driven robot that interacts with people and can even control other technology you own.

Looks like the real world might be catching up with Star Wars in certain respects. This must be making Disney nervous. Who needs Hollywood magic to see a friendly robot on the big screen when you already have one sitting in your home?

[Buried Alien]

Four decades before BB-8, there was Haro.



Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[The Negative Zone]

Nervous? That doesn't make sense. Samsung's just paved the road for Disney to have cute little robots that look exactly like BB-8 and many other robot characters be sold to control your technology while being the ultimate fan gift.

But it won't capture the same imagination as seen in the movies. The little Samsung bot won't have a unique personality or be able to go on adventures with you.. Reality doesn't "catch" up to Fiction, fiction just enhances reality to impossible standards while creating new ones.

[Kintor]

Nervous? That doesn't make sense. Samsung's just paved the road for Disney to have cute little robots that look exactly like BB-8 and many other robot characters be sold to control your technology while being the ultimate fan gift.

But it won't capture the same imagination as seen in the movies. The little Samsung bot won't have a unique personality or be able to go on adventures with you.. Reality doesn't "catch" up to Fiction, fiction just enhances reality to impossible standards while creating new ones.

Here I must disagree with you, I believe that reality can surpass even our wildest fantasies, if there is only the will to make it happen. In fact, sci-fi is littered with older stories that seem honestly quaint and mundane compared to the technology we have today.

Even Star Wars is not immune to the passage of time, we just about have the droids in many respects next we just need the starships. Then before you know it there’ll be interstellar empires popping up and maybe even a couple of new religious orders egging them on the whole time.

When that day arrives the human race will have no more need for Disney, we will already be in the galaxy far far away. It actually reminds me of the Rule of Two in a way, reality achieves everything fantasy dreamed of, the apprentice ultimately kills the master.

[ChrisIII]

Yep, definetly getting Haro from that (Haro doesn't usually use the arms and legs BTW-it mainly floats around with it's "wings") Granted, the concept of Haro probably owes a lot to R2-D2, as do some of Gundam's other tropes.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

What does this rolling tennis ball do that a smartphone already doesn't do? Can it cook food, can it repair equipment around the house, and so on?

It ain't BB-8 or Artoo not by a long shot.