Did you watch The Jetsons when you were a kid? If you did, you might remember Rosie, a robotic maid who took impeccable care of the futuristic Jetson family. And the future has now arrived, complete with an at-home robot, but if you're expecting Rosie, you will be disappointed.
The new Amazon Astro robot was unveiled in September at an invite-only product launch. According to CNBC, the three-wheeled gadget rolls around your house, plays games and music and can watch the house while you're away, but it doesn't vacuum or do laundry.
The device already has critics. According to The Verge, it's physically fragile and, according to Gizmodo, it will certainly fall down stairs if it finds them. With no arms, it can't pick up anything or bring a cup of coffee from the kitchen, but it does have a cubby for putting things in.
It might be good for security. In sentry mode, Astro's little flat face with two camera eyes looks for people with faces that haven't been stored in its circuits. If it finds one, it follows that person around collecting data, according to Gizmodo. It can be connected to Amazon's Ring devices and send an alarm.
If you're concerned about privacy, then a robot with a camera that roams around your house might not be for you, though Amazon claims to have resolved this issue with privacy updates and customizable boundaries for the device.
If you want to be one of the first robot owners, you'll have to wait. Amazon hasn't yet announced the release date for the $999 robot, and intends to make it available by invitation only. Interested buyers can sign up on Amazon's website for an invitation.
