- Plan is in its early stages as the tech giant races to find new sources of revenue
Apple is reportedly venturing into the world of home robotics as ‘the next big thing’, after scrapping its decade-long plan to make an electric car.
Engineers at the tech company have been exploring the idea of a robot that would follow users around their homes. Bloomberg reports.
The plan is said to be still in its early stages as Apple races to find new sources of revenue.
It comes after it sold off its long-awaited ‘Apple Car’, while the push for mixed-reality glasses is expected to take years to become a major profit driver.
According to Bloomberg, the iPhone maker has also created an advanced tabletop home device that uses robotics to move a screen.
Apple is reportedly venturing into the world of home robotics as ‘the next big thing’ after scrapping its decade-long plan to make an electric car
The plan is said to be still in its early stages as Apple races to find new sources of revenue. Pictured: John Giannandrea, senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy at Apple
Sources told the outlet that the robot display is well beyond the mobile bot, but has been added and removed from the company’s product roadmap in recent years.
Before scrapping its EV project, Apple told its top executives that the company’s future revolved around three areas: automotive, home and mixed reality.
The company has already released its first mixed-reality product, the Vision Pro headset.
Originally, the tabletop robot project consisted of imitating a person’s head movements during a FaceTime call, such as nodding.
But the company was reportedly concerned about whether consumers would be willing to spend large amounts of money for such devices.
Bloomberg reports that Apple’s senior executives are at odds over whether to move forward with the product.
Bosses say they are exploring other ideas for the robotics market in a secret facility that resembles the inside of a house near the campus in Cupertino, California.
Since the Steve Jobs era, Apple has been obsessed with finding its ‘next big thing’.
The iPhone accounted for 52 percent of the company’s $383.3 billion in sales last year.
It was hoped that the electric vehicles – which were expected to sell for $100,000 per car – would add hundreds of billions to sales.
But in late February, Apple informed employees that the project, which had been in the pipeline for more than a decade, was being halted.
Employees who developed the car were transferred to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) department, although it was reported that some layoffs were unavoidable.
It follows in the footsteps of Amazon, which introduced a home robot called Astro (pictured) in 2021 for $1,600
It comes after it sold off its long-awaited ‘Apple Car’, while the push for mixed-reality glasses is expected to take years to become a major profit driver. In the photo: a ‘concept’ of the Apple Car
Now the AI division is exploring using algorithms to help bots navigate the cluttered space in customers’ homes.
It follows in the footsteps of Amazon, which introduced a home robot called Astro in 2021 for $1,600. However, it remains a niche product.
Amazon debuted a business-oriented version of the bot last year, designed to act as a security guard.
Meanwhile, the most popular home robot remains the Roomba, which Amazon tried to acquire before regulators’ opposition sealed the deal in 2022.
Apple’s failed automotive effort is thought to have laid the groundwork for other initiatives. For example, the neural engine – the AI chip in iPhones and Macs – was originally developed for the car.
Developers also explored using VR while driving, paving the way for the Vision Pro.
Apple advertises robotics-related features on its website.
DailyMail.com contacted Apple for comment.
