Amazon has reportedly made progress in its long-running, yet-to-be unveiled home robot project, which is currently in the “late prototype stage” of development, and recognized with a codename Vesta.
The tech giant, owned by Jeff Bezos, considers developing this much-anticipated home robot, to be their top priority, as it is compliant with their vision of becoming the world’s most Customer-Centric Company. According to reports, they believe Vesta has the potential to come out as one most revolutionary and progressive devices in the world of technology.
The device has been under development for nearly 4 years and currently, more than 800 employees are working on its progress, claims a report by Insider. If the robot launches, it will be a breakthrough for the tech giant. It will be one of Amazon’s most pioneering works and will join the list of their most ambitious out-of-the-box projects, including Kindle, Echo, and Fire Phone.
There is a matter of concern for the developers of Vesta, as there is some sort of comparison between the currently developing home robot, and their previously developed, not so successful Fire Phone. “People are very skeptical — we’re worried it could turn into another Fire Phone,” one of six anonymous sources cited by Insider as “directly involved in the project,” told the publication.
There are many unanswered queries, uncertainties, speculation regarding the upcoming device. It is very common with any product which is about to hit the market, and not much is known about its details. The idea of this device is somewhat similar to that of Amazon Echo, but with mobility. Vesta will most probably be a voice-activated assistant that can navigate your home, respond to your commands, and interface with other smart home devices. Extra features could include sensors for monitoring temperature, air quality, and humidity and could even help people find items such as keys or wallets.
While Amazon has invested a lot of money and resources into the development of Vesta, Insider claims the trillion-dollar company has modest sales projections for the smart home robot. The report also claims that Amazon’s Vesta project has experienced multiple production delays in the past, these allegedly taking place alongside ‘shifting strategies’ and too slow of a pace. This is evident of the fact, that the project is delicate, and the creators are taking every step with caution.
Along with the developments being witnessed in this project, Amazon is emerging as a big player in the world of Artificial Intelligence. Many projects have been undertaken by numerous tech giants in the past, but catering it to the general public, specifically in their homes is a challenge. There is a mix of optimism and pessimism from the consumers as well as from the developers when it comes to the success of the device. Interestingly, all we know is that it has created an opportunity for other tech companies to experiment, collaborate, and contribute in the sphere of artificial intelligence.
Smart speakers and displays have no doubt become popular among consumers, it will be an interesting scenario to witness, whether the buyers are ready to embrace home robots or Amazon will end up discarding the project.
