Astro: Amazon brings robots for the home with Alexa

Amazon not only has new Smart on Tuesday evening – Home devices presented. The company also had a special ace up its sleeve: a mini-robot , the one with the voice assistant Alexa is equipped and can move independently through his home.

According to their own statements, the developers were inspired by science fiction.

The robot is navigating itself autonomous through the home of its owners. To do this, it has to know or record and register its surroundings exactly, much like a vacuum cleaner robot. He does this, among other things, with an extendable tripod at the end of which there is a camera, with which he can see everything from a higher perspective. Amazon speaks of a periscope .

Astro is also charged in a similar way to a vacuum cleaner robot – namely via a docking station where it “goes to sleep” .

Applications

According to Amazon, the use cases are diverse. Astro should take care of your own home when you are not there. Astro should also do things like a fire alarm and be able to notify its owner. According to Amazon, the little robot can also be used to keep an eye on relatives in need of care.

Astro recognizes thanks to Face recognition also his roommates and can provide them with information tailored to their needs. Because Astro is equipped with a display as a “face”, it can also be used for video telephony or like a telepresence robot.

Privacy

That an autonomously acting robot with cameras and microphone also privacy concerns could raise, Amazon is apparently aware of it. The press release emphasizes that you can deactivate both the camera and the microphone as well as the entire robot at the touch of a button.

If video and sound are transmitted, this should be clearly recognized by LED can be seen on the periscope. Even if Astro is woken up by a signal word, it reports this via a visual indicator, they say.

Price and availability

Astro should $ 1,450 costs at the start but there is a special offer, in the context of which the robot to $ 1,000 is sold.

For now the device will only be available in small numbers and can only be purchased by invitation. That Astro is already in Europe is unlikely to be available. There is currently no information about a start or price outside the USA.

Development of the robot

Amazon took part in the presentation Not only talked about the capabilities of Astro, but also about the challenges in development and what you thought of some things. In this context, this video presents: