LG had big plans for CES 2017 and didn’t disappoint the crowds. The South Korean tech giant unveiled its latest innovative robotic helpers that go far beyond your average kitchen appliances. LG’s Hub Robot, for example, was revealed as well as its Mini-sized counterpart. The robots can control smart home devices, play music, offer advice on commuting times, and overall make life a bit easier. LG appears to be competing with the Amazon Echo, by also revealing its Airbot assistant.
The LG Hub Robot features a circular "face" with a screen displaying what looks like eyes perched atop a white body. The robot can re-orient itself to face the user and move along to music that it’s playing. The screen can also display images and videos, although how exactly it accesses these wasn’t disclosed by LG.
LG’s Airbot is able to guide wayward travelers through busy airports. It can also provide useful travel information on its large display, and talk you through steps to get through an airport when you get lost – perfect for traveling children. The Airbot is already being used by travelers at South Korea’s Incheon airport, according to reports, so it seems likely that we could see it in action in other airports around the world in the future.
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee of when that will happen, or how much the robots will cost. LG hasn’t revealed such details yet. LG has teased the Hub Robot before, and also announced other home appliances at the press conference, including a smart fridge featuring Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant, and a robot lawnmower.
