Personal Robotics Could be Apple’s ‘Next Big Thing’

Personal robotics could be Apple’s “next big thing, ” Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman says, as he reveals that the company’s new skunkworks project involves a “mobile robot” that would “follow users around their homes.”

Gurman says that Apple has a secret facility near its campus in Cupertino, California that is configured like the inside of a house, allowing it to test future devices and initiatives for the home.

Another project Gurman says Apple is working on is an “advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around.”

Engineers at Apple have been exploring a mobile robot that can follow users around their homes, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the skunk-works project is private. The iPhone maker also has developed an advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around, they said.Mark Gurman

Apple is working on AI algorithms that would allow robots to “navigate cluttered spaces within people’s homes,” says Gurman. Apple is also apparently considering developing robots to “handle chores, like cleaning dishes in a sink.” However, he doesn’t expect that we’ll see such a device anytime this decade due to “extraordinarily difficult engineering challenges.”

If Apple moves forward with such a robotic device, it would likely find itself competing with other robotic devices already on the market, such as Amazon’s $1,600 Astro, which not only acts as a roving virtual assistant but also provides home security monitoring.

The robotics project for Apple’s table-top moving display reportedly came from the minds of hardware engineering chief John Ternus and members of the industrial design team and could be the inspiration for some of the so-called “HomePod-with-a-display” mockups we’ve seen from leakers and other sources.

The display would mimic the head movements of a person during a FaceTime session, such as nodding or shaking their head. The gadget would also be able to lock on to a single person in a crowd during a video call.

However, the report says the device’s development has been the subject of hot debate among Apple executives, who have voiced concern over whether consumers would be willing to pay top dollar for such a device. The company has also faced technical challenges, such as “balancing the weight of a robotic motor on a small stand.”

Meanwhile, Apple introduced a new DockKit framework in iOS 17 to allow third-party accessories like Belkin’s Stand Pro to do similar things with any MagSafe iPhone. This software-based solution works surprisingly well and undoubtedly has some Apple execs questioning whether the company needs to build a device of its own or simply incorporate similar software technology into a future iPad and let others worry about the mechanics and physics of moving it around.

On its website, Apple has posted job listings for robotics-related roles, indicating that it’s working to expand the size of teams that will be working on the new initiatives.

Both robotics projects are said to be in the very early stages of development and may never actually be released to the public. Nevertheless, they present some interesting possibilities for the kind of Apple products we may see in the future.