Samsung unveils Project Luna AI companion at Milan Design Week after Ballie's shelved promises

Samsung's Project Luna companion might succeed where Ballie failed

Treading carefully after the Ballie robot's unfulfilled promises, Samsung is pitching Luna as a design experiment rather than a guaranteed product. Samsung once promised that its Ballie smart home assistant robot would be in your homes, but quietly walked back on that promise. The company isn't done with assistant robots, though. Samsung has now showcased its Project Luna AI companion, but, treading cautiously, this is referred to as a concept rather than a promised product. Project Luna is a round screen with a swiveling head, first spotted in a video Samsung posted about the company's exhibition at Milan Design Week 2026. Samsung shared more details about Project Luna with Fast Company, asserting that it is a concept, albeit a believable one. Project Luna is said to be a dedicated AI companion for your home, one that can fill in the gaps when no other AI devices are around. It is designed to be highly approachable, with playful beeps that are reminiscent of Wall-E. In Samsung's demo at the event, Project Luna serves as a conductor for a wider array of Samsung products. It uses a pulsating orb graphic resembling an eye, mouth, and face that serves as a unified UI. This AI persona can effectively "jump" from Luna to a nearby TV, speaker, or projector as needed. Project Luna isn't the only AI companion Samsung showcased. The company also showcased a square speaker with an exposed vinyl record spinning on its side, which can come to life with a glowing UI powered by AI and a dynamic EQ. The rest of the report goes into detail on Samsung's design vision for the future, especially for products in its AI-centric ecosystem, with key comments from Samsung's Chief Design Officer, Mauro Porcini. The core of this vision is a shift from "personal AI" (housed on smartphones) to "communal AI" -- an intelligence that lives and seamlessly moves across the entire home ecosystem, seamlessly jumping from device to device. Zooming out, Project Luna appears to be the physical manifestation of Samsung's strategy to turn home AI from an intrusive, screen-heavy surveillance tool into an ethical, endearing, and helpful roommate that ties together a diverse hardware ecosystem. It remains to be seen if these endearing products actually make it to consumer release. With no promises made, we won't get a repeat of Ballie, that's for sure.

Samsung shows off cute new tabletop robot, and we hope it sees the light of day

A charming AI companion built for your desk hints at Samsung's vision for smarter homes, but after Ballie was delayed and ultimately shelved, there's reason to be cautious. Samsung is once again teasing a compact home robot, this time in the form of a small tabletop companion that leans heavily into charm and everyday utility. The company recently showcased the device at Milan Design Week, positioning it as a friendly assistant designed to sit on your desk or counter and help with simple everyday tasks. While details remain limited, the concept taps into Samsung's broader push toward AI-driven home experiences. A smaller, friendlier take on household robots The new robot, dubbed Project Luna, features a circular display mounted on a swiveling base, giving it a mechanical personality similar to Pixar's Luxo Jr., with subtle audio cues that echo Wall-E. Unlike larger, more complex home robots, this one is designed to stay put, acting as a smart hub with a bit of character. Early footage suggests it can respond to voice commands, display information, and potentially integrate with other smart home devices. Samsung hasn't shared a full spec sheet yet, but the direction is clear. Project Luna is meant to be more approachable than traditional robots, that blends into your daily routine rather than disrupting it. Recommended Videos The design language also leans into the "cute tech" trend, which could make it more appealing for casual users who might not otherwise consider a home robot. Will it make it to market? If this all sounds familiar, that's because Samsung has taken a similar route with Ballie before. First introduced in 2020, Ballie was pitched as a rolling home assistant capable of following users, controlling smart home devices, and acting as a personal AI companion. But Ballie never made it to market. Samsung delayed the project multiple times, quietly pushing back timelines before eventually shelving it altogether. Despite repeated updates and reappearances at events, it failed to transition from concept to a consumer-ready product. That history makes Project Luna a bit harder to take at face value. While it looks promising and arguably more practical than a rolling robot, Samsung hasn't committed to a launch. The company has made it clear that this is still a concept, and it remains to be seen whether it will become commercially available or follow the same path as Ballie.