Apple wants to bring smart home robots into our homes, according to a new report Bloomberg. It’s fair to say that the Cupertino-based tech giant has already successfully entered a new category (namely, mixed reality headsets), so why not take another risk?
According to Bloomberg, the iPhone maker is reportedly developing a personal robot that can track its owner around the home, similar to Samsung’s Ballie or Amazon’s Astro.
Everything we know so far about Apple’s smart home robot
Citing “unnamed people,” Bloomberg would like us to believe that behind the scenes, Apple engineers are currently exploring personal robots for the home. The project is still in its infancy, though, so it’s unclear if it will be released in the future.
All we know so far is that it is said to have a built-in display and can move around autonomously using robots. However, the screen has been a bone of contention for the company.
Initially, Apple reportedly wanted the display to mimic the caller’s head movements (such as nodding) during FaceTime calls. Engineers are also said to have envisioned the idea of a smart display capable of framing a single person in a crowd during a call.
However, you Know Given how expensive Apple products are, the Cupertino-based tech giant is concerned whether consumers will part with their hard-earned money for such a boring feature.
Another issue is that engineers have reportedly been struggling to balance the weight of the display on the personal robot’s motors. Apple executives question whether personal smart home robots are worth the investment, Bloomberg reports.
If Apple does move forward with the project, it will face stiff competition from Roomba, the most popular home robot.
Personal robots aren’t the only area Apple is working on behind the scenes. Rumor has it that Apple is focusing more on artificial intelligence than ever before, and Siri could benefit from some of these advancements.
Only time will tell whether Apple’s reported personal robotics project will take off like the Apple Vision Pro or be scrapped like the Apple Car.