Amazon has just revealed Astro, the “household robot for home monitoring.” It will complete actions such as delivering objects, showing you the weather, playing music, or answering questions. However, differently from other devices, the $999 Astro will travel around your home on wheels.
Here’s how it works: Astro moves based on a map of your home created using sensors, which can also be used to restrict the robot from entering certain areas. You will be able to give each room in your home a specific name, allowing you to send Astro to different rooms using voice commands.
One of the main features of Astro is security. The robot will patrol your home and investigate any unusual activity, alerting you of potential threats.
Logan Ruiz, a senior at WJPS said, “Due to the fact that most of Astro’s features have been seen in other products before, it just seems like Amazon is trying to make money off of old ideas under a popular brand name.”
Another senior at WJPS, Nicole Freyeisen said, “I think this product is a little extreme for Amazon. Astro seems like a more invasive version of Amazon’s Alexa, as it can follow you around and watch what you are doing.”
“Amazon Echo series” by the-unwinder is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
