Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is reportedly developing a home robot, according to Bloomberg. The project was codenamed “Vesta,” after the Roman goddess and it was overseen by Gregg Zehr, who also runs Amazon’s Lab126 hardware research and development division.
Amazon’s Lab126 develops Amazon devices such as Echo speakers, Fire TV, Fire tablets and the Fire Phone. This year Amazon began to ramp up hiring for the segment with job listings such as “Software Engineer, Robotics” and “Principle Sensors Engineer.”
Bloomberg said that people briefed on the plans said the company hopes to begin launching robots into employees’ homes by the end of the year and to sell commercially by 2019.
Although there is no certain on what the robot would look like, Bloomberg hints that it most likely contain some form of Alexa-enabled technology behind it, but more additionally features than simply the Echo.
Sources told Bloomberg that these home robots are different than the robots designed by Amazon Robotics, a subsidiary in Massachusetts and Germany. Amazon Robotics deploys robots in Amazon warehouses to move around goods that originated from Kiva Systems, which Amazon bought out in 2012.
Amazon spokesperson said the company does not comment on “rumors and speculation.”
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