Amazon's Astro home robot has fans but looks destined for the 'trash heap.' Why it's trying again

Amazon had been developing a home robot since around 2017 and, following an earlier concept dating to 2011, unveiled the Astro robot at an event in fall 2021. Astro was described as a wheeled, tablet-like device equipped with Alexa, autonomous navigation, facial recognition and home security monitoring functions. After its unveiling, sales remained limited and invitation-only, with shipments totaling only several thousand units.

Amazon subsequently announced a business-focused version of Astro in 2023, but the business was wound down less than a year later. Despite this history, Amazon has not abandoned Bezos’s long-term goal of a family robot and continues to prepare for another attempt. Recent reports have focused on a team seeking to develop a new “world-first” home robot product, while job postings indicate efforts to improve its understanding of operating environments and autonomous operation.

Since 2024, Amazon has been reorganizing its personnel and organization, including the acquisition of Fauna Robotics in March. A company developing a 3.5-foot-class humanoid robot called Sprout is expected to be integrated. The allocation of personnel, including people associated with Lab126, and a development policy focused on household implementation suggest that Fauna’s robots may be adapted for home and business use.

The market’s growth prospects continue to attract attention, with Barclays pointing to the possibility that the home humanoid robotics market could expand to approximately $40 billion by 2035. Amazon is seen as continuing a strategy focused on developing new markets from a long-term perspective and capitalizing on the advantages of early entry. Some observers also say that recent advances in AI and sensor technology will support the commercialization of home robots.