Apple, known for its innovative and captivating product lines, is reportedly venturing into the realm of household robots after abandoning its electric vehicle project. According to a Bloomberg report, engineers at the iPhone company are currently working on a "personal robotics" device that can cohabitate with users and follow them around, essentially serving as a robo-roommate.
The development of this product is still in the research and development phase, and it remains unclear whether it will ultimately be released. The report also mentions that Apple has developed an "advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around," which sounds like a responsive TV screen. These projects are being carried out within Apple's hardware engineering division, with collaboration from its machine-learning group.
Sources speaking with Bloomberg say that Apple engineers are interested in creating a fully autonomous robot capable of handling everyday chores, such as cleaning up and washing dishes. However, the feasibility of achieving this in the near term remains technically challenging. The company is also reportedly interested in having the robot function as a mobile video conferencing tool.
While details about the proposed Apple bot are scarce, it is unclear whether it will roll around on wheels like Amazon's Astro home robot or follow the rising trend of bipedal, humanoid robots. The specifics of how it would complete its tasks, its release date, and its potential cost are also unknown. As with many early-stage product ideas, there is a possibility that the robot may never see the light of day.
The news of the alleged Apple robot comes just two months after the company officially ended its electric vehicle ambitions, known publicly as "Titan." The car project, which dates back to at least 2014, was plagued by leadership shakeups and repeated delays. Many of the roughly 2,000 Apple employees working on the car were reportedly folded into the company's other AI-related projects, and some of the insights and technology developed for the car could potentially make their way into robots.
The supposed robot project further signals Apple's interest in tapping into AI products, as the company has faced criticism in recent months for appearing to lag behind top tech competitors like Google and Microsoft in the realm of generative AI. An AI-enabled robot, if successful, presents Apple with a unique opportunity to lean further into AI while doing what they do best: seamlessly integrating hardware and software.
At-home robots are not an entirely new concept, with iRobot's popular Roomba autonomous vacuum cleaner claiming to have sold more than 40 million devices worldwide. Amazon is also pursuing its own, more advanced home robot primarily used for monitoring. However, the robots of the future are expected to be far more sophisticated, with robotics firms like Figure already integrating advanced language models into bipedal, humanoid machines capable of performing tasks and holding conversations.
An Apple robot, if it materializes, will likely follow the trend of integrating large language models into advanced robotics to effectively communicate with its owner. However, whether customers will welcome such a device into their homes remains to be seen. A 2021 survey by the Brookings Institution found that 61% of adults were uncomfortable with robots, and a Pew Research poll revealed that more than a third of adults were "more concerned than excited" about the prospect of increased AI use in daily life.
