Amazon, also known as the developer of the voice assistant Alexa, has announced the Astro robot on wheels. The device can perform tasks typical for smart speakers with a screen, and at the same time move around the house, scan and memorize its rooms, and in the absence of the owners – serve as a video surveillance system for the house. The Amazon Astro will initially be sold by invitation only in the US and will be priced at $ 999, with the price rising to $ 1,499 at a later date.
The robot is equipped with a 10-inch screen with a camera for video calls, fixed on a hinge with motors, as well as a 12 megapixel periscope camera. The device is capable of following a person during calls. The user can set the points to which Astro will arrive on command, as well as mark rooms as prohibited for visiting. The Amazon Astro has a niche for transporting items weighing up to 2 kg. A USB-C charger is built into the niche, which can also be used to connect accessories – in particular, a tonometer from OMRON.
Amazon is positioning Astro alongside two new subscriptions. Ring Protect Pro service (from $ 20 per month) allows you to set patrol routes, turn on the siren, call emergency services on the speakerphone and save the results of video surveillance. Alexa Together ($ 19 per month or $ 199 per year) is dedicated to caring for and communicating with seniors. This subscription includes, among other things, fall detection and an emergency hotline. The first Amazon Astro models will ship with a six-month Ring Protect Pro subscription.
.