Smart screen on wheels: Amazon introduced the Astro home robot

Amazon presented in the US home robot Astro. It personifies the unification of many different divisions of the company - robotics, artificial intelligence, home monitoring, cloud services - all in one autonomous device.

The Astro is about 60 cm high and weighs about 9 kg. The main drive wheels are 12 inches in diameter, enough to get past door sills and over carpets. The robot can move at a speed of 1 meter per second in any direction.

Inside the plastic housing are five different motors: one for each drive wheel, one for raising and lowering the camera on a tripod, and two for panning and tilting the screen. The display itself has a diagonal of 10 inches. It is complemented by an array of sensors and a 5 megapixel camera for video calls and face recognition of family members.

In most scenarios, two circles are constantly displayed on the screen, simulating eyes. Above them, the text can display the direction of movement of Astro, for example, to the kitchen. Animations are also supported to show how the robot will react to your actions.

His real "eyes" are at the base of the case - there are ultrasonic sensors, time-of-flight cameras and other visualization tools that allow Astro to navigate in space like a robot vacuum cleaner.

During the first acquaintance with the premises, Astro will build a map that will be displayed in the mobile application. There it will be possible to mark the boundaries of movement or "points of view" where the robot will wait for further instructions. By the way, you can control it not only from your smartphone, but also through voice commands based on the Alexa assistant.

The robot can follow the user, play music or podcasts, create reminders and set timers, record photos and videos, and monitor the elderly and monitor home security. Integration with Amazon's smart home system allows it to recognize all alarms from sensors in the apartment. For example, if the motion sensor is triggered in your absence, Astro can go for a check, simultaneously broadcasting a video to your smartphone.

Astro can also deliver something within the premises. At the back, it has a small payload area (up to 2 kg). By default, there is an insert with two cupholders, but it can be easily replaced with a basket for other things. In the same area is a 15-watt USB-C port. So far, it can only be used to power smartphones, but in the future Amazon plans to use it to connect additional accessories. As an example, a blood pressure cuff was mentioned.

All Astro functionality is built on Fire OS and Linux. Amazon is not yet sharing an official SDK, but says that in the future, customers and developers will be able to create unique capabilities that will allow Astro to get better over time.

Like the robot vacuum, the Astro has a charging dock that it can automatically return to. It takes about 45 minutes to charge the battery from 0 to 100%, and without recharging it can work for about two hours.

Amazon says all facial processing and room map storage takes place locally on the device, although "some of this data is safely sent to the cloud." This is necessary so that Astro can be sent remotely to some part of the apartment using a smartphone. At the same time, the robot can only be connected to one phone at a time - this is a security measure that helps prevent unauthorized access.

Amazon is convinced that in the next 5-10 years, everyone will have some kind of robot in their home. And Astro is an attempt by the company to come to the fore, while there is practically no competition in this area. In the US, Astro will sell for $ 1,000 (≈73,000 rubles), but when it enters the wider market, the price could rise to 1,500 (≈110,000 rubles).

Would you like such an assistant for yourself? Write in the comments.