Apple’s new CEO John Ternus is apparently pushing the tech company’s development of home robots, and the first to debut may be a home robot designed to roam autonomously while supporting FaceTime calls and turning on the lights whenever a person enters the room.
People who worked on Apple’s robotics projects told The Information that the AI-powered home robot, codenamed J595, could be called HomeView Ultra in line with Apple’s new HomeView stationary smart display. The company reportedly aims to launch the robotic product with a possible price tag of $1,000 or more by 2027, although development delays may push it back to 2028.
Early prototypes of the home robot first appeared in 2018 and received approval from former Apple CEO Tim Cook to proceed with the project. The Information describes Apple engineers as trying to give the robot more capabilities beyond being a “fancy way to make FaceTime calls” to justify a high price tag, even as the team has spent years perfecting the software and incorporating more AI technologies.
However, the robot’s few reported features so far seem disappointing compared to existing smart home devices and systems, or even a run-of-the-mill robot vacuum cleaner with a clearer use case for homes. Is there a market for a smart home device that costs more than $1,000 that moves while you make FaceTime calls, automatically manages the room lights, and occasionally orders the family cat to get off the dining room table?
