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Amazon's New Robot That Follows You Around Your Home Is Getting A Hard Pass From Twitter
Amazon Astro, a new technology coming from Amazon that can follow you around your house while also making facial expressions by using its display screen as a face, is stressing Twitter out.
The robot, which will run about $1000 per unit, has cameras built into its body, leading some people to fear observation through said cameras.
Others just think the roads of technology have gone too far this time.
Amazon Astro, an Alexa with wheels and cameras that can follow you around.pic.twitter.com/ymLRIfCUmJ— Joanna Stern (@Joanna Stern) 1632848064
If I go to your house and you have one of these I am putting it in the microwavehttps://twitter.com/JoannaStern/status/1442895480279560192\u00a0\u2026— Krassputin (@Krassputin) 1632856499
if i ever see one of these irl im going to do this to it https://twitter.com/JoannaStern/status/1442895480279560192\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/XCVJSFbCdz— sud (@sud) 1632856263
Not today, Satan.https://twitter.com/joannastern/status/1442895480279560192\u00a0\u2026— Kim Masters (@Kim Masters) 1632854203
I would literally kick this thing across the room.https://twitter.com/joannastern/status/1442895480279560192\u00a0\u2026— Brian George (@Brian George) 1632852562
CNBC's description of the robot tells you exactly what to expect if you should bring it inside your home:
"Astro is equipped with a rotating screen that's mounted onto a base with wheels. Amazon designed the robot to appear animated and friendly, with eyes and expressive body movements that respond to user interaction."
"The robot can move on its own from room to room and is capable of navigating around objects on the floor or braking to avoid colliding with obstacles such as a pet that moves into its path."
"A periscope camera attached to the base of the device can be raised or lowered to view objects that are high up."
Left: Tesla Bot\n\nRight: Amazon\u2019s Astro botpic.twitter.com/OXhNrmuXrE— Marques Brownlee (@Marques Brownlee) 1632848446
Oh, HELL no.https://cnb.cx/3EZHPmY— Rick Wilson (@Rick Wilson) 1632853456
my amazon astro when it seems me without glassespic.twitter.com/rYUxHWZJpV— dug up a fifth of ivermectin (@dug up a fifth of ivermectin) 1632866690
And so it begins...\n#AmazonAstropic.twitter.com/F1WiPzYKdw— Omar Gonzalez (@Omar Gonzalez) 1632927128
Meet Astro, the $999.99 Amazon robot for your home.\n\nhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cheddar/video/7013118393469521157?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id6896887281257334278\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/bzPdQVdJ5g— rachel (@rachel) 1632874298
However, disquiet has already emerged from developer teams tasked with working on Astro, who have referred to the mini-robot as an "invasive spy" and "incredibly stupid."
"Vesta [codename for Astro] slowly and intelligently patrols the home when unfamiliar persons are around, moving from scan point to scan point (the best location and pose in any given space to look around) looking and listening for unusual activity," read a file from the developers.
"Vesta moves to a predetermined scan point and pose to scan any given room, looking past and over obstacles in its way. Vesta completes one complete patrol when it completes scanning all the scan point on the floor plan."
However, this capability does not come without a major pratfall. "Astro is terrible and will almost certainly throw itself down a flight of stairs if presented the opportunity," said a file.
"The person detection is unreliable at best, making the in-home security proposition laughable."
#AmazonAstro 2018.7.18 @JeffBezos already showed it through instagram his account. \n\nhttps://www.instagram.com/p/Bl3UXBInIqx/?utm_medium=copy_link\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/v6o3UPrhAi— since2 (@since2) 1632914368
Meet Amazon Astro. The Jetsons is happening.pic.twitter.com/t4wNPraG72— Craig Poulsen - Craig\u2019s Tech Talk (@Craig Poulsen - Craig\u2019s Tech Talk) 1632848366
C3PO - R2D2 vibes \nTesla Bot Amazon\u2019s Astro botpic.twitter.com/YWPG5ChcfE— Tech Brainiac (@Tech Brainiac) 1632890544
Left: Tesla Bot\n\nRight: Amazon\u2019s Astro botpic.twitter.com/QP2Dp2jQoj— Sani (@Sani) 1632860580
Amazon Astro is just one of the first steps to a live action episode of Love, Death & Robots pic.twitter.com/Aay1WQvbxr— K (@K) 1632863946
Astro costs $999.99 and is available to some customers via special invitation only.
The robot has not yet been given a wide release, but Amazon expects to grant more invitations later in the year if the initial rounds go smoothly.
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