A generated image of a toy-like Apple robot
An Apple robotics division has risen from the ashes of the Apple Car and wants to build an autonomous robot companion for your home.
The Apple Car may not have panned out, but research into autonomous systems and robotics may have opened the door to Apple’s next project. No, it’s not a robot vacuum, but something more advanced for your desk or home.
Apple had wanted to focus on automotive, the home, and spatial computing, but with Apple Car canceled, work has shifted to the home. The robotics team has two projects underway, but neither has been greenlit to become actual products yet.
Companies like Amazon have shown some interest in the home robotics space. So far, consumer products have taken the form of camera drones and little robots on wheels with digital faces that can act as security.
Of course, Apple’s internal labs work on many projects that never see the light of day. Robots may be interesting to some, but there’s not much utility in the technology available today beyond mopping floors.
