LG reveals smart home AI-powered robot that controls your home appliances

Soon to be unveiled at CES 2024, LG has just announced its new smart home AI-powered agent: a two-legged robot! LG’s smart home Artificial Intelligence agent has been described as “an all-around home manager and companion rolled into one” that’s designed to make users' daily lives easier and more streamlined.

While LG is best known for its range of the best LG TVs, the company is also a big name in home appliances, including its popular selection of best fridge freezers. In 2023, LG showcased its LG Smart Cottage at IFA, a prefabricated smart home that incorporates LG’s smart home appliances, heating, ventilation and air conditioning products and energy solutions for better efficiency and sustainability.

With this in mind, LG is committed to realising its ‘Zero Labor Home’ vision which the brand is expected to unveil further at CES 2024. One product that has recently been announced is its smart home agent which uses robotic, AI and multi-modal technologies to move, learn and engage in complex conversations in and around your home.

Taking a look at the LG smart home robot, it looks like Wall-E and Eve from the Disney Pixar movie had a baby. Described as a ‘moving smart home hub’, it has a two-legged wheel design and uses articulated leg joints to navigate through the home independently.

So, how does it work exactly? The LG AI agent is equipped with the Qualcomm Robotics RB5 platform that unlocks AI features like voice, image  and user recognition. It can verbally interact with users and uses its built-in camera, sensors and speaker to gather real-time information about your home. For example, the LG AI agent can read the temperature and air quality of your home to learn your habits and adjust accordingly.

Designed to connect with and control your home appliances and smart devices, the LG AI robot autonomously moves around your home when you’re away and sends notifications to your phone if it finds any abnormalities, like lights being left on or windows being open.

When you return home, the LG AI agent greets you at the door and can analyse voice and facial expressions which in turn leads the robot to select music or other content that suits the mood. From there, the LG AI agent assists homeowners similar to a smart home hub, for example, it can give weather updates, reminders, timers and calendar organisation. In addition to these smart home features, the LG AI agent can act as a security guard or pet monitor, and has also been made to take care of housework and daily home maintenance for you.

As someone who has a smart home hub and speaker, I can definitely understand the benefit of having a hub that takes care of your day-to-day activities. But I’m not entirely sold on a walking, talking robot that patrols my home, even though it’s extremely cute. I’ll have to wait until CES 2024 to find out more about how it works and will fit into our lives, but for now, I’m looking on with confusion and surprise!