Amazon appears to have reached the final prototype stage of
creating its secret home robot codenamed Vesta, according to a new report by
Business Insider.
The report says: The device has been under development for
nearly four years, and more than 800 employees are now working on it.
And if Android does launch, it will be one of Amazon's
biggest and most ambitious new products, such as Echo, Kindle and Fire Phone.
The comparisons to Fire Phone, Amazon's failed smartphone
venture, seem to be of concern to some Vesta co-developers.
As with any unknown device of this measure, there are many
unanswered questions and uncertain details.
However, the basic premise is that Vesta will be a voice
activated assistant that can navigate your home, respond to your commands, and
interact with other smart home devices.
The report contains a number of interesting details,
including a suggestion that the device is between 25 and 33 centimeters in
size.
The robot is reportedly equipped with a screen, microphone,
and several cameras, and additional features could include sensors to monitor
temperature, humidity and air quality with a small carrying compartment and a
waist-height retractable column equipped with a camera, which can be combined
with machine vision technology to help users find Items such as keys and
wallets.
The Vesta project demonstrates Amazon's continuous drive to
include its products in customers' homes.
Over the years, the company has launched a number of devices
trying to expand its reach into kitchens and bedrooms, from the discontinued
Dash Wand, which allowed users to order groceries by scanning barcodes, to the
Always Home Cam, a small drone that provides mobile surveillance around the
home. .
The report says: Amazon is developing Vesta as a top
priority, but initial sales expectations are modest, as the robot could
initially be launched as a limited-edition product with an invite-only system,
similar to what it did with the Halo fitness device.
This method can prevent the company from wasting resources
on unsold inventory.
0 Comments