It has been brought to light that Apple is venturing into the realm of robotics, reportedly exploring multiple "personal robotics" projects in a bid to rise with its "next big thing."
Apple's robotics projects
Tech journalist Mark Gurman from Bloomberg has uncovered ongoing developments at Apple, including a project involving a "mobile robot" designed to "trail users around their residences," along with another project focusing on an "advanced tabletop home device" utilizing robotics to maneuver a display.
Based on information from sources familiar with these endeavors, Gurman stated that Apple engineers are exploring the concept of a mobile robot capable of following users within their homes. Additionally, the company has crafted an innovative tabletop home device incorporating robotics for display movement.
Gurman's report suggests that Apple is investigating the integration of AI algorithms to enable robots to navigate cluttered household spaces.
While Apple has shown interest in creating robots capable of performing household tasks like dishwashing, challenges in engineering may delay such features from emerging in the near future, as noted by Gurman.
Nevertheless, Gurman's reports indicate that Apple's potential home robot could compete with Amazon's Astro, an Alexa-enabled household robot offering home monitoring and mobile virtual assistance.
Regarding the tabletop device, it aims to replicate the head movements of individuals during FaceTime video calls. However, Gurman highlights the challenge of balancing the weight of a robotic motor on a small stand, a factor that is currently under discussion among Apple executives.
Given that these projects are reportedly still in the early research stages, their development and eventual availability to the public remain uncertain.
