Apple Explores Personal Home Robots After Abandoning Electric Car Project

After discontinuing its electric vehicle project, Apple is now setting its sights on personal home robots, according to a report by Bloomberg released on Wednesday.

Exploring New Horizons

Engineers at Apple have been delving into the development of a robot designed to follow users around their homes, as well as a tabletop device equipped with robotics to adjust a display screen. The research team at Apple has been actively involved in this exploration, as per Bloomberg's sources.

Apple made the decision to shut down its Special Projects Group in February, which was dedicated to electric cars. The move indicates a significant shift in the company's focus, especially considering the initial buzz surrounding the project back in 2014 when Apple brought in automotive engineers to work on it.

Strategic Expansion

The electric car project was part of Apple's strategic initiative to tap into new product markets. In addition to this endeavor, the company has also made substantial investments in products like the Apple Watch and the Vision Pro virtual reality headset. However, it is projected that the Vision Pro will take several years to generate substantial revenue.

Apple's hardware engineering division and its artificial intelligence and machine learning group are spearheading the development of personal robotics, as detailed in the Bloomberg report. While the home robot project is still in its early stages of research and development, Apple is committed to pushing the boundaries in this domain.

Industry Landscape

Other tech giants have also ventured into the realm of home robots. Amazon, for instance, introduced its Astro home robot in 2021. Priced at $1,600, the Astro functions as a smart display on wheels, capable of responding to Alexa commands. Despite its launch almost three years ago, the device remains available in limited quantities on an invite-only basis. Amazon also recently unveiled a business-oriented version of Astro, akin to a mobile security guard.