Astro, the house robot, has been announced by Amazon

Astro, Amazon’s first household robot, will be powered by Alexa, the company’s smart home technology.

When you’re not at home, you may check on your pets, people, or home security remotely, according to the business. It may also autonomously patrol a home and notify the owners if it detects something suspicious. It was more than “Alexa on wheels,” according to Amazon, and was programmed with a variety of gestures and expressions to give it personality.

Astro was asked to “beatbox,” and the robot bopped its head and showed emotions while playing hip-hop rhythms as a demonstration. Amazon was also anxious to address worries about privacy. Astro can be programmed with “out of bounds” zones to prevent it from entering particular locations, or it can be configured to “do not disturb.” It also has buttons for turning off cameras and microphones, but when they are turned off, it loses its capacity to move around.

The little robot also has a pop-up “periscope” camera on its head that can be extended. Amazon demonstrated how to use it to see if a gas stove had been left on after you left the house.

The $999.99 (£740) robot, according to the technology and retail behemoth, could be of assistance to the elderly. The robot will be available later this year, according to Amazon, but only in the United States. Its price will rise to $1,449.99 after the initial, limited run, according to the company.

The company is recognised for developing strange smart home technology on occasion, such as the Alexa-controlled microwave it released in 2018. Amazon made headlines at last year’s event with a flying home alarm drone. If a suspected incursion is detected, the Always Home Cam deploys from its deployment bay and may fly around a home to inspect with a video feed. However, it was never released, and no further information has been released in the last year.

The goal is to keep kids entertained during extended video chats by allowing them to play games or draw on the 19-inch projected “screen.” Relatives on the other end of the line can use a tablet app to engage with the projection.