Amazon Astro

Last updated
Astro
Manufacturer Amazon
InventorAmazon
CountryU.S.
Year of creation2021
PriceUS$1,599; by invitation only
Type Domestic robot
PurposeHome monitoring, virtual assistant

Amazon Astro is a home robot developed by Amazon.com, Inc. It was designed for home security monitoring, remote care of elderly relatives, and as a virtual assistant that can follow a person from room to room. [1]

Contents

Features

Tom's Guide called the device "Alexa on wheels" and everything available on the Amazon Echo Show 10 is on this new device. The Astro has visual ID and should be able to recognize different family members and send an alert if the device sees someone it does not recognize in the home. [2]

In 2022, Amazon announced a pilot program connecting Astro to the Ring security system, allowing workers in a remote call centre to control Astro to investigate security alerts. [3] [4]

Hardware

Processors2× Qualcomm QCS605; [5] 1× Qualcomm SDA660; [6] 1× Amazon AZ1 Neural Edge
Display10.1-inch touchscreen, 1280 × 800 resolution
Cameras1× 5MP bezel camera; 1× 1080p periscope camera with 132° diagonal field of view; vision in both visible and infrared light [7]
Speakers2× 55 mm front-firing speakers, 1× passive bass radiator
Battery Lithium-ion
ConnectivityUSB-C; WiFi 802.11ac; Bluetooth
Dimensions16.7 in. L × 9.8 in. W × 17.3 in. H (424 mm × 250 mm × 440 mm)
Weight20.6 lbs (9.35 kg)

Reception

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg News says that, six months after its release, hardly anyone was talking about Astro online, and that Amazon had shipped only a few hundred units, at most. [8] David Priest of CNET observes that "For now, this robot remains a luxury item, for people with a lot of money to try out a cutting-edge technology that still lacks a compelling use case." [9] Lauren Goode of Wired magazine labels Astro as "a robot for the sake of a robot" and "a robot without a cause, at least for now". [10]

The announcement in September 2022 that Astro would function as a security guard connected to Ring security devices for homes and small businesses [11] led Gizmodo to comment on the increasing "creepiness" of Astro. [12]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Tritschler, Charlie (2021-09-28). "Meet Astro, a home robot unlike any other". Amazon. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  2. ↑ Prospero, Mike (2021-09-28). "Amazon Astro robot release date, price and everything it can do". Tom's Guide. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  3. ↑ Basu, Tanya (2022-09-28). "Amazon has a new plan for its home robot Astro: to guard your life". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  4. ↑ Amazon News. Introducing Amazon Astro: Your Virtual Security Guard | Amazon News, 28 September 2022, retrieved 2022-10-15
  5. ↑ "QCS605". Qualcomm. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  6. ↑ "SDA660". Qualcomm. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  7. ↑ Park, Jong Jin; Sen, Arnie (2021-09-28). "Astro's Intelligent Motion brings state-of-the-art navigation to the home". Amazon Science. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  8. ↑ Gurman, Mark (2022-02-22). "Amazon's Astro Home Robot Remains Elusive Six Months After Debut". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  9. ↑ Priest, David (2022-05-03). "Amazon Astro Review: It's Cute, But Not Yet Worth It". CNET. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  10. ↑ Goode, Lauren (2021-09-28). "Amazon's Astro Is a Robot Without a Cause". Wired. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  11. ↑ Gurman, Mark; Day, Matt (28 September 2022). "Amazon Says a Wide Release of Astro Home Robot Is Finally 'in Sight'". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  12. ↑ Ropec, Lucas (2022-09-30). "Amazon Makes Creepy Surveillance Robot Even Creepier With Yet More Ring Integration". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
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