Apple reportedly developing AI-powered smart home robots

After sunsetting its electric car project, Apple is reportedly looking to make smart home robots that follow you around your house.

According to a Bloomberg report by the trusted Apple analyst Mark Gurman, the Cupertino-based tech giant has engineers working on this brand-new product segment. The report claims that the company has already made an advanced home robot with a display attached to it.

Citing sources at Apple, Gurman says that the company sees automotive, home, and mixed reality as three significant segments of interest. After the Apple car project was allegedly shelved, it is now looking to focus its efforts on the other two segments.

With the Vision Pro already launched, the company has tested the waters in the virtual reality space. However, it is expected to take years before the company can turn the project into a mass-market venture.

That said, this smart home robotic project is still in very early stages and could be the company’s next major area of innovation. The report further suggests that various teams from Apple’s Special Projects group are involved in this new assignment – including the hardware engineering, artificial intelligence, and machine learning teams.

This isn’t a new idea

Samsung

While we do not have exact details of the product that Apple is making, the report hints at a tabletop device with a mechanically controlled display. While previous rumors hint that the company is also working on a HomePod speaker with a display, the report suggests that Apple executives want a display to mimic emotions and head movements while on a Facetime call.

This resembles Amazon’s Echo Show speakers with a motorized display at the top. While it can track the users’ movements to ensure that the display faces the user every time, it is stationary.

Amazon also introduced a robot assistant called Astro in 2021, while Samsung introduced the updated version of its Ballie personal robot earlier this year.

Apple seems to be still assessing the future of such products, as the top executives at the company are unsure if users will be willing to spend a premium for such a product.

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