by Juli Clover
With the Apple Car canceled, Apple is exploring new markets where it might be able to find new revenue streams, and personal robotics is apparently one area the company is investigating.
This guide highlights everything we know about Apple’s interest in robotics, and we’ll update it with new rumors going forward.
The Robot Rumors
According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple is looking for its “next big thing,” and robotics are one area of focus. Apple has engineering teams working on various in-home robotic devices and the AI software and functionality that might be able to make a home robot useful.
Apple’s work on robotics takes place in the hardware engineering division and in its AI and machine learning group under AI chief John Giannandrea.
Mobile Robot
Apple is considering a mobile robot that would follow users around the home, presumably serving as something like an iPad on wheels. A robot would likely be able to place FaceTime calls, monitor the home and the people in it, carry out simple tasks, and answer queries.
Apple is said to be exploring AI algorithms that would be used to help robots navigate cluttered spaces in homes, and while Apple wants to design a robot that would clean and do chores much like Rosey in the Jetsons, it’s too complicated for now. Gurman says that such a robot is unlikely this decade due to “extraordinarily difficult engineering challenges.”
Table-Top Robot
Another Apple project is described as an “advanced table-top home device” where robotics are used to move a display around. The device, which is described as a robotic motor on a small stand, would mimic the head movements of a person on a FaceTime video call. It would be able to nod, or precisely lock on to a single person during a group FaceTime call. Gurman says that Apple has had some difficulty with weight and balance, and Apple is also not sure that consumers will pay “top dollar” for such a product.
The robotic display is said to be further along than Apple’s mobile robot, but it has been “added and removed from the company’s product roadmap” several times over the years.
Secret House Facility
Apple reportedly has a secret facility that is designed to look like the inside of a home, and that’s where it is testing future home products.
Other Home Devices
There are some more realistic products that are in the works, with rumors suggesting that Apple is developing an iPad-like home hub device that would serve as a central way to control smart devices. Apple has also been rumored to be working on a version of the Apple TV that integrates HomePod speakers and a camera, and there have been rumors of a HomePod with a display.
Apple’s Competition
Amazon has a $1,600 “Astro” robot that it sells by invitation. Astro is able to navigate the home and remotely check specific rooms, people, and things when the user is away from home.
The robot is able to send an alert if an unrecognized person is detected, or if there are sounds like an alarm. Astro has a built-in display and can be used for watching TV, placing calls, setting reminders, sending messages, and more. Astro uses Alexa, and Amazon suggests that it can be used to “remotely care for aging loved ones.”
Astro is also able to carry “a variety of accessories” such as a Ziploc container, a blood pressure monitor, and a Furbo Dog Camera that provides treats for a pet.
Sony has experimented with robots, and is best known for the Aibo robotic dog. Priced at $2900, Aibo is designed to act like a real dog with dynamic movements, lifelike expressions, curiosity, and an interest in human interaction. Aibo is able to learn tricks, play with toys, and listen to commands.
There are a number of other home robots on the market, but the best known may be the wide range of robot vacuums like the Roomba that are able to navigate the home to automatically clean up dust, dirt, pet fur, and other debris.
Robot Launch Date
Apple’s work on personal robotics is in the early stages, and the company has small teams that are exploring different concepts. It is not clear if some kind of robot will ever launch, and there is no word on when if so.
Popular Stories
iPhone 16 Pro Expected Later This Year With These 12 New Features
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still months away from launching, there are already over a dozen rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected for the devices so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of April 2024:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with large…
Apple Exploring ‘Mobile Robot’ That ‘Follows Users Around Their Homes’
Wednesday April 3, 2024 12:21 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is exploring various “personal robotics” projects in an effort to create its “next big thing,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Amazon’s Astro robot One of these projects is described as a “mobile robot” that would “follow users around their homes,” while another is said to be an “advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around”:Engineers at Apple have…
Apple Suppliers Say New iPads Have Been ‘Repeatedly Postponed’
It has been nearly 18 months since Apple last updated its iPad lineup, and customers are anxiously waiting for new models to be announced. For months, there have been rumors about new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, but the estimated timeframe for their release has been repeatedly pushed back from March to April to May. In defense of these rumors, it does sound like Apple has experienced…
Alleged iOS 18 Design Resource Reveals visionOS-Like Redesign [Updated]
A first look at iOS 18’s rumored visionOS-style redesign may have been revealed by a new image of the Camera app. Alleged iOS 18 design resource. MacRumors received the above iPhone frame template from an anonymous source who claims they obtained it from an iOS engineer. It will allegedly be included as part of the Apple Design Resources for iOS 18, which helps developers visually design apps …
Tim Cook Sells Nearly 200,000 Apple Shares
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook this week sold 196,410 shares of the company’s stock, which had a total value of approximately $33.2 million based on the average sale price of the transactions, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. After taxes, Cook netted nearly $16.4 million from the sales. Cook received all of the shares that he sold this week as a performance-based stock…
Here’s Everything New in iOS 17.5 Beta 1 So Far
Apple this week made the first betas of iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 available to developers for testing. The upcoming software updates include only a few new user-facing features so far, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the first iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 betas so far. Web Distribution Starting with iOS 17.5, iPhone…
