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Apple reportedly exploring home robotics after scrapping car plans

One rumored product is a personal robot that will follow users around their home.

April 3, 2024 2:08 PM

After many years in development, Apple abruptly pulled the plug on its car project back in February. As the tech company considers the path forward, a new report states that the iPhone maker may set its sights on home robotics as its next ambitious project.

A Bloomberg report earlier today shed light on Apple’s purported interest in home robotics. The plans aren’t set in stone, but sources familiar with the matter described some in-development projects to Bloomberg. One is a personal robot that will follow users around their homes, and the other is an “advanced table-top home device” with a display that can be moved around. The current idea is that these projects would leverage the growing power of artificial intelligence.

The 15-inch MacBook Air. — Source: Apple

Specifically, the report says the home robotics projects are in the works at Apple’s hardware engineering and AI and machine-learning groups.

Apple’s decision to scrap its lengthy work on a car earlier this year left a lot of spectators puzzled, with the growing popularity of electric vehicles in recent years. As the project was never officially revealed, Apple neglected to explain why it eventually decided to move away. As for the company’s rumored new robotics project, we’ll be watching carefully for an official announcement, though we’d be surprised if there was any news regarding it at WWDC in June.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_

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Shacknews

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April 3, 2024 2:08 PM

Donovan Erskine posted a new article, Apple reportedly exploring home robotics after scrapping car plans
- eatstheramen
  
   reply
  April 3, 2024 6:29 PM
  
  They scale down the car tech to create ai individual mobile devices, so we can live out our Wally future.
- Junktown
  
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  April 3, 2024 6:31 PM
  
  Was the car stuff actually definitely true? I could never figure out why Apple would make a car.
  - ovrlrd
    
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    April 3, 2024 6:41 PM
    
    I think it was “real” in the sense that Apple made CarPlay stuff and saw where things were headed (highly computerized electric vehicles) and wanted to explore it.
    
    Then I think Tesla basically beat them to it and they spent too long deciding whether to kill it. How far they actually got who knows, definitely never made it far enough that it was worth it hence why they don’t exist.
  - boarder2
    
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    April 3, 2024 7:25 PM
    
    Apple has gobs of money. If they're not actively exploring "moon shot" products to expand their business while they have the capacity to do so, they're going to die. It makes sense that they'd at least explore it.