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Have you been wondering when we would be getting a Jetsons-style robot that can follow you around the house? Well, the wait is over as we are finally living in the future. We may not have flying cars or anything, but thanks to Amazon, the robot checkbox has been ticked.
Earlier today, Amazon had “one more thing” to show off, after revealing a new Echo Show, Halo fitness tracker, and home security products. Enter, Amazon Astro. This is an Alexa-powered robot whose “face” is a 10-inch Echo display.
Leading up to today’s event we heard rumors that Amazon was working on such a product, and the rumors turned out to be right. Astro is a $1,499 Echo Display on wheels that can follow you around the house, or just keep an eye on things.
There’s a built-in periscope camera that extends upwards so that it can “see” things like stovetops or just a better view of what’s in front of it. As you might expect, Amazon is also integrating the Ring Protect Pro service, that essentially turns Astro into a watch dog while you’re away.
In addition to alerting you in the event of a break-in, Astro also acts as a carbon monoxide detector, along with being able to detect a smoke alarm. Then, notifications are sent to your connected device, so that you can either pull-up a live stream of what’s going on, or save the recordings to your Ring account.
At its heart, Astro is powered by Amazon Alexa, so we have all of the same possibilities that are found on Echo speakers and accessories. And since Astro is an actual robot, it can follow you or the little ones around if you need to go do something while on a video call.
During today’s event, Amazon confirmed that Astro has been in the works for years. And over the course of the last year, Amazon SVP Dave Limp has been using one in his own home.
Along with the Echo Show that acts as a “face” and the periscope camera that extends upwards, Astro motors around using two wheels. On the top, where the periscope camera is housed, there are an array of microphones and speakers. Plus, there are dedicated buttons to turn off the microphones, cameras, and even motion.
Finally, there are also add-ons that can be purchased to have a little bit of fun with Astro. For one, there’s a detachable cup holder so you can actually have a robot deliver you a beer during the game, provided that someone puts the beer in the holder. There’s also a Furbo Dog Camera that will toss some treats to your pet so you don’t have to.
Amazon Astro is definitely a futuristic and wild product, but it’s not something that was shown off just to get headlines. You will actually be able to purchase this from Amazon, but in order to do so, you’ll need to first request an invitation. Amazon has confirmed that Astro will be available for an introductory price of $999.99. After an undetermined amount of time, that price will jump up to $1,499.
If you want to learn more, or request an invitation to try and get Astro for yourself, hit the button below.
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