Amazon Astro users show off the robot's abilities — it can bring a beer to the right person
Photos and videos of Amazon's Astro home robot in the real world have started to appear as the first users of the smart security gadget, available only by invitation, begin experimenting with their new bot.
Surprisingly, despite the device starting to ship in November 2021, only a few videos have appeared so far. Bob Rekieta posted a video of his Astro driving off after being told to go to a designated place with a beer on board (presumably someone put the drink there, since the robot has no arms).
Then Astro is told to "find Celeste," after which the robot disarmingly tilts its screen and looks around with its "eyes." It carries out the command, finds the resident waiting for the beer, and displays "Hi, Celeste" on its screen as it looks at her.
Matthew Nereim, a fifth-grade teacher from Florida, told the media about his experience with Astro, which he received a few months ago. Nereim told Bloomberg that he enjoys controlling the robot from his phone and teasing his dog with it.
He also has Astro follow him around the house, acting as a portable Alexa smart display that can carry drinks in its onboard cargo compartment, play music and entertain friends.
“It's like your own little R2-D2. My friends and family think it's fun. They say, "That thing follows you?!”
However, according to Nereim, there are some problems, in particular the robot gets confused when looking for its charging dock and every time it is near stairs. Luckily, it doesn't seem to have ever thrown itself down the stairs, although reports when the robot was first announced suggested it might.
Amazon is eager to hear lots of feedback like this to improve the product, so it sends user surveys. But Nereim did not take part, since it is not mandatory.
Nereim also said that, in his view, the $1,449.99 retail price is somewhat overpriced for what you get (he paid $999 as one of the first users). He believes $700 would have been more reasonable: "If it cost $1,500, would I have bought it? No. But it was $1,000, and I was thrilled with it. I felt I could afford $1,000, but I definitely don't need them."
Announced in September 2021, Astro is Amazon's first home robot, and it is currently available through an invitation program for $999. This is Amazon's first beta program in which users can leave feedback to help improve the device before it goes on sale.
Amazon does not publish sales data, but company spokesperson Patrick Santucci told The Verge that "they are seeing positive feedback and learning a lot about how customers want to use a consumer robot." He also said it is too early to say when the device will become more widely available.
Astro is a wheeled robot with a camera. You can view its live video from the Astro app, remotely control its movements, and talk and listen through its speakers and microphones.
It can act as a home security robot and send alerts when it sees an unfamiliar person. With a Ring Protect Pro subscription ($20 per month), users can access video history for up to 60 days and schedule the robot to patrol autonomously and investigate events it detects.
As shown in the video, Astro can memorize your home's layout and obey commands to go to a specific room. It can also recognize faces and deliver items to a specific person. As a smart display, it can play music, show the weather and answer questions.
Video calling is also available thanks to a 5-megapixel camera, and Amazon says it plans to work with third-party accessories for recording data such as blood pressure. Amazon promotes the product as potentially useful for remotely caring for aging loved ones in combination with the new Alexa Together service.
Bloomberg first reported that Amazon was developing a home robot in 2018, and the work accelerated the following year. Hundreds of employees have spent four years working on what the company calls a "Day 1 Edition" device, whose main goal is collecting customer feedback.
Responding to questions about Astro, an Amazon spokesperson said that "invitation requests and customer orders have significantly exceeded our expectations." He did not give figures, but said shipments are on plan and "will continue to ramp up in the coming weeks and months." The company spokesperson also said Amazon is receiving positive feedback and "learning a lot about how customers want to use a consumer robot."
Amazon expects Astro will eventually lose its "Day 1" status, but the company spokesperson said "it is too early to say when that might happen." The company is already talking about future models and sees Astro as its "first robot, not the last."
