Amazon’s Astro Robot is a 24-hour security guard and smart assistant all rolled into one device

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Cute, naughty, or a bit of both? Amazon has just unveiled Astro, a mobile robot designed to circle your home, monitor intruders, and even keep your kids occupied.

Wrapping up Amazon’s September launch event, which saw an array of gadgets from new Halo fitness trackers to Blink video doorbells, we got our first glimpse of the device, which looks to combine Amazon Alexa intelligence with the navigational systems of a robotic vacuum cleaner, and an echo display. And the Always Home Cam indoor drone travel camera capability.

In short, it’s too complex and too ambitious for Amazon to release.

With two primary wheels for movement and a smaller third wheel in the back to aid navigation, Astro can move at a speed of one meter per second. A periscope camera shines from Astro’s head to get a good look at things above ground level, like the foods and spices on your kitchen shelves.

If it sounds like science fiction, that’s definitely Amazon’s goal – with frequent claims that such robots will be common in the home “within a decade”. Whether you believe it or not, it’s clear that Amazon wants to take a chance on owning this market.

(Image credit: Amazon) Safe Home

As with Amazon’s range of video doorbells and cameras from the Ring, a large part of the messaging about Astro is about security.

A press release states, “When you’re away, Astro helps provide the peace of mind that comes with knowing your home is safe. Astro can move autonomously around your home, navigate to check-in in designated areas, and show a live view of rooms through the Astro app, Or even send alerts if it detects an unknown person.

“With Alexa Guard, Astro can also detect the sound of a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, or broken glass, and send an alert to your phone—helping you keep your home safe, even when you’re somewhere else.”

With an introductory price tag of $999.99 (about £750 / AU$1,400) – which is set to rise to $1,499 sometime after launch – it’s one of the most expensive commercial products Amazon has launched, costing several times the cost of the Fire TV Cube or Amazon Echo Studio.

Starting today, you can sign up to order a sample — through Amazon’s Day1 Editions program, for its trial and limited-edition devices — with Astro units scheduled to ship “later this year” in the US. There’s no word on a UK or global release date, but Amazon often waits a few months after the “home” launch to take its products overseas.

(Image credit: Amazon) You, me, and Astro too

Surprisingly enough, the robot was not called Alexa, and instead was wrapped into its own voice-like entity. What gives, you ask?

“We learned early on that customers don’t just want Alexa on wheels,” Amazon told TechRadar. “To that end, we’ve embodied Astro with his own unique personality. From adding eyes to the screen to a full range of sounds, the device really comes to life.”

Despite the “unique personality” comment, some observers may remember that the name Astro… is actually taken. It’s the title of PlayStation’s robot mascot, which has a similar shape, black/white color scheme (much like the PS5 itself) and bright eyes that beckon you to love it.

Whether you find Astro cute or worrisome, there’s definitely something great here, in an all-in-one device that combines all the capabilities of an Amazon smart home into a mobile device that’s also designed to act as a “friend.” We can definitely see kids running after her, and the screen that Astro uses for the face can also be used for video calls with relatives and the like.

(Image credit: Amazon)

It comes naturally with all the standard Alexa features baked in, like “music, news, podcasts, and timers.” If you’re also on a video call, “Astro will go around the house with you, so you can continue the conversation.”

If you fancy an Amazon camera following you around the house, you’ll soon have the choice — although it’s worth bearing in mind the words of one of Astro’s creators at Amazon’s launch event: “This isn’t our last robot, it’s our first.”

So if you’re not sure how that happens — and whether the first Astro ever will be a useful iteration, or a proof-of-concept for something better — you’ll likely get more options in the future. Of course, you can always catch up on a few episodes of Black Mirror, especially the Season 6 episode “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too,” to catch up on the sci-fi about robot home buddies these days.

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