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Apple is said to have several hundred development team members working on a project to deliver a home robot with an “iPad-like” device attached.
Following the demise of its electric car project, the US tech giant is now pursuing a new line of business with an expensive robot arm that will navigate around a screen. The device utilizes actuators to tilt the display up and down and spin 360 degrees.
The robot arm has been likened to Amazon’s Echo Show 10 and Meta’s Portal which has now been discontinued.
As revealed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, sources close to the project referred to as J595 have detailed the top-level plan for the smart home command device which will be controlled using Apple Intelligence and Siri features.
The robot is hoped to also act as a security feature, a videoconferencing machine, and more. The concept gained formal traction internally in the last few months after it was first cleared by Apple’s executive team back in 2022.
Bloomberg reported that Apple is developing a tabletop robot with Siri voice commands to operate its AI features
The device combines an iPad-like display with a thin robotic arm that can tilt, spin 360 degrees, and move the screen around
Interesting pic.twitter.com/ZobYfBmYUl
— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) August 18, 2024
Apple CEO Tim Cook Is Backing The Robot Arm
Home robots represent a path that has been treaded before but is fraught with obstacles and danger, with several other creations proving to be failed ventures.
However, Apple is dedicating resources and priority to J595, seeking to capitalize on the emergence of Apple Intelligence as the tech is rolled out across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The company is said to be working to a timeline of 2026 or 2027 for the launch of the home robot with a target price of $1,000. Both targets could change, given the fledgling stage of the fluid project.
Apple marketing gurus reportedly expressed concerns about the price tag, with engineers concerned about the workforce resources required to deliver the software. CEO Tim Cook, who advocates for the potential of the robot device, and Apple’s head of hardware engineering, John Ternus, have allayed those fears.
5️⃣ Expanding into Robotics 🚀
Beyond the tabletop device, Apple is exploring moving home robots and even humanoid versions. This marks a significant shift in Apple’s strategy to find new revenue streams.
— Mukesh Kumar (@StudyLearnShare) August 18, 2024
