Amazon unveils Astro, an Alexa-enabled home robot on wheels
Amazon said Astro is a "new kind of household robot that integrates Alexa, advanced hardware, software, computer vision, and AI". It has wheels and even "eyes". (image credit: Amazon)
Astro is kind of reminiscent of WALL-E, but it's built on top of Fire OS and Linux, making it more of a Fire tablet on wheels.  (image credit: Amazon)
Astro packs a periscope camera on a retractable pole, so you can see things both high and low. Imagine you’re away from home and want to see if the stove is on. (image credit: Amazon)
Astro can proactively patrol your home. With the included app, you can send Astro to check on "specific rooms, things, people, and even pets", Amazon said. (image credit: Amazon)
If you're worried about privacy, you can always set out-of-bounds zones for Astro to avoid. It even has "do not disturb" and mute functions. (image credit: Amazon)
Oh, and Astra has a compartment area. It's capable of carrying 4.4lbs (2kg) of cargo. There’s a 15-watt USB-C port in there you can use to charge a phone, too. (image credit: Amazon)
Astro is available via invite-only for $999.99. (You can request an invite from Amazon US.) The price will go up to $1,449.99 once it has a broader release. (image credit: Amazon)
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