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● LIVE Updated 55m ago Β· 12 sources tracked

Amazon's Astro home robot has fans but looks destined for the 'trash heap.' Why it's trying again

Amazon is trying again in consumer robotics by assembling a new home robotics team to develop a next-generation home robot following the sluggish sales and limited success of its Astro device. The original home robot was conceived as a bold bet by Jeff Bezos in 2017 and rolled out on stage in 2021, but the unit was ultimately shut down. Job postings are currently offering hints about the development path for this new-to-world consumer machine as the company attempts to move past the stumbles of its earlier robotic hardware.

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  • βœ“ Amazon has built a home robotics team to work on a new-to-world home robot following sluggish sales of the Astro device.
  • βœ“ Jeff Bezos launched the Astro robot project in 2017, and the device rolled onto the stage for the first time in 2021.
  • βœ“ Amazon shut down the previous robot unit two years ago after the Astro device experienced limited success and sluggish sales.
πŸ›‘οΈ Source Corroboration: 12 independent reporting domains (90% confidence) ⏱ Read time: ~2 min

What changed

Amazon has established a dedicated home robotics team to build a next-generation home robot following sluggish sales and the shutdown of the Astro unit.

Live updates

  1. Amazon Forms New Team to Develop Next-Gen Home Robot

    Amazon is trying again in consumer robotics by assembling a new home robotics team to develop a next-generation home robot following the sluggish sales and limited success of its Astro device. The original home robot was conceived as a bold bet by Jeff Bezos in 2017 and rolled out on stage in 2021, but the unit was ultimately shut down. Job postings are currently offering hints about the development path for this new-to-world consumer machine as the company attempts to move past the stumbles of its earlier robotic hardware.

    Why it matters

    Jeff Bezos initially launched the Astro robot project to secure a foothold in consumer robotics, but the product struggled to achieve broad market adoption. After shutting down the previous hardware unit, the technology giant is reviving its ambitions for household automation. The newly formed team is tasked with building a fresh device designed to overcome the commercial hurdles that faced the original hardware.

    What is confirmed

    • Amazon has built a home robotics team to work on a new-to-world home robot following sluggish sales of the Astro device.
    • Jeff Bezos launched the Astro robot project in 2017, and the device rolled onto the stage for the first time in 2021.
    • Amazon shut down the previous robot unit two years ago after the Astro device experienced limited success and sluggish sales.

    Still unconfirmed

    • Amazon is specifically developing a home humanoid robot for its next-generation consumer robotics push.

    What to watch next

    • Official product announcements from Amazon regarding the new home robot's capabilities
    • Further details released through corporate job postings about the hardware design
    • Timeline disclosures for consumer availability of the next-generation device
    Sources used for this update (12)
    1. music.amazon.com β€” Amazon Music | Listen to songs, podcasts, & more
    2. www.amazon.com β€” Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more.
    3. pharmacy.amazon.com β€” Amazon Pharmacy | Online Prescription
    4. www.amazon.jobs β€” Amazon Careers: Impact the Future, Today
    5. CNBC β€” Amazon's Astro home robot has fans but looks destined for the 'trash heap.' Why it's trying again
    6. Unite.AI β€” Amazon Builds Home Robotics Team for New-to-World Robot
    7. Briefs Finance β€” Bezos' Home-Robot Vision Lives On at Amazon After Astro Stumbles
    8. GuruFocus β€” Amazon's Ambitious Plans for Home Robotics Development
    9. Pluang β€” Amazon forms new team to develop next-gen home robot after Astro's limited success
    10. λ””μ§€ν„Ένˆ¬λ°μ΄ β€” Amazon tries again in consumer robots with home humanoid after sluggish Astro sales
    11. The Times of India β€” In 2017, Jeff Bezos made a bold bet on robots with the launch of Astro that it rolled on stage for the first time in 2021, but the company shut down the unit two years ago; now Amazon has assembled a new team that is working on a robot for …
    12. Rich Picks Daily β€” Amazon has a new team building a home robot. Job postings hint at what's in the works
    confidence 90%
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