Amazon has reportedly placed hundreds of employees on a home robot project called 'Vesta' amid rumors of delays and uncertainty.
The company has been reported to have been designing a home robot in some form or another since at least 2018, but exactly what form the robot would take or where it is in terms of development has been open to speculation.
The latest rumored details on Amazon's Vesta come from Business Insider, which reports that Amazon already has more than 800 employees working on its home robot project. Internal documents are identified as the sources behind this leak, one that claims Amazon's Lab126 is heavily focused on Vesta as one of its largest current hardware ventures.
Assuming the rumors are correct, the Vesta robot could feature built-in Alexa, as well as several integrated cameras, a display, and the ability to roll around one's home. However, whether the robot would actually hit the market-and find itself a consumer base-is said to be a subject of concern for those in Amazon.
Some earlier reports suggested that Vesta could be able to perform simple tasks, but given its apparent small scale, that function would probably be somewhat confined. The ability to vacuum like Roomba's iRobot Corp. may be one option, even though it was mocked by the founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in 2018.
The report claims that Amazon's Vesta project has endured many launch delays, reportedly taking place alongside 'shifting strategies' and too sluggish of a pace. Some of the company's workers are apparently concerned that the home robot could potentially have 'weak market viability,' likely putting it in the same direction as the ill-fated Fire Phone.
Among other things, the report goes on to say that Vesta was Amazon's highest priority when it started the secret project some four years ago. Although smart speakers and displays have undoubtedly become fashionable with customers, it remains to be seen if buyers are ready to accept home robots-and whether Amazon will end up abandoning the project.
What is obvious is that even if Vesta ever comes to market, the prospect of a humanoid robot that will do work around the house is still a long way off.
