Business · Companies · 5 hrs ago
Amazon is pursuing a new home robot after Astro's limited rollout
Amazon is trying again to build a robot for homes after its Astro product had a limited rollout.
Astro, a $1,450 wheeled device with Alexa, could navigate homes, recognize faces and act as a security monitor.
It reached only a few thousand customers and remained an invite-only product, while Amazon discontinued a business version less than a year after launching it in 2023.
Amazon has formed a new team for a home robot, redeploying much of the Astro team and bringing in an MIT roboticist.
In March, it acquired Fauna Robotics, maker of Sprout, a 3.5-foot humanoid robot, and placed the company in Amazon's Personal Robotics Group.
What the new robot will look like and do is unclear, though Amazon job posts describe work on robots for dynamic home settings; the company has not said when a product might arrive.
Amazon has assembled a new team to develop a home robot, according to a CNBC analysis of job postings.
The effort follows the limited rollout of Astro, which reached only a few thousand customers and remained invite-only.
Amazon redeployed much of the team behind Astro and brought in an MIT roboticist to work on the project.
In March, Amazon acquired Fauna Robotics and said it would join a new division called the Personal Robotics Group.
The type of robot Amazon is developing and the tasks it could perform are unclear.
- Who
- Amazon is developing the robot through a new team that includes staff in its Personal Robotics Group.
- What
- The company is pursuing a new home robot after Astro’s limited rollout.
- When
- The team was assembled over the several months before the November 2026 report. Amazon acquired Fauna Robotics in March.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- Amazon is continuing its effort to develop a household robot despite Astro’s limited reach. The company says it seeks to anticipate products that could make customers’ lives easier.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Jeff Bezos told senior device executives to begin work on a home robot.
Amazon first showed Astro publicly at its fall event.
Amazon released an Astro product for businesses.
Amazon acquired Fauna Robotics and said it would become part of the Personal Robotics Group.
An Amazon job posting described a Field Support Engineer role.
- Astro price
- $1,450
- Astro rollout
- Invite-only; shipped to a few thousand customers
- Fauna robot
- Sprout is 3.5 feet tall
- New division
- Personal Robotics Group
- Amazon acquisition
- Fauna Robotics, acquired in March
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Robots are about to step out of the movies and into our homes
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