Amazon stamps out surveillance robot Astro for Business
Amazon's monitoring robot for small and medium-sized businesses, Astro for Business, is being discontinued. Amazon is taking the robot back.
The mobile surveillance robot will soon no longer be rolling across company premises.
(Image: Amazon)
The Amazon Group is discontinuing its Astro for Business patrol robot for US business customers in September 2024 and is also discontinuing support. This is according to an email that Amazon sent to customers and as an internal memo. Customers are to receive a refund and a credit note.
Originally developed as a home robot, Amazon tried to give the mobile robot a new role in November 2023. It was to be used in small and medium-sized businesses as a robot watchdog for mobile surveillance tasks. The robot, which costs around 2350 US dollars plus subscription costs, was supposed to be able to monitor areas of up to 5000 m², which is significantly cheaper than other security systems. Its periscope camera should be able to send images to a control center, and it should also be able to patrol autonomously using artificial intelligence (AI) and detect and report security breaches.
Apparently, the concept has not gone down particularly well with business customers. Amazon does not provide sales figures, but it should be clear that these have been too low to further develop Astro for Business. The company had already decided not to sell the Astro for Business outside the USA anyway.
Household robots instead of business robots
Amazon now apparently intends to concentrate on household robots, as can be seen from an internal memo and an email to Astro for Business customers. The development team is to remain with Amazon and concentrate on the development of household robots in the future. It is still unclear when the first products will be launched.
The tragic thing about the Astro for Business robot is that it cannot be converted into a home robot. Amazon therefore offers a recycling program. The robot can be returned to Amazon free of charge. Customers will also receive a refund of the full purchase price and a credit of 300 dollars.
(olb)
