> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://spyglass.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Apple's Wall-E Future - URL: https://spyglass.org/apples-wall-e-robots/ - Published: 2024-04-04T08:17:51.000Z - Updated: 2024-04-04T10:16:02.000Z - Author: M.G. Siegler - Tags: robotics, apple, money, tech, #nodate, john ternus, homepad [Apple Explores Home Robotics as Potential ‘Next Big Thing’ After Car FizzlesApple Inc. has teams investigating a push into personal robotics, a field with the potential to become one of the company’s ever-shifting “next big things,” according to people familiar with the situation.![](https://www.bloomberg.com/favicon-black.png)BloombergMark Gurman![](https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/iGYTqL6HCgEc/v0/1200x800.jpg)](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-03/apple-explores-home-robots-after-abandoning-car-efforts?ref=spyglass.org) I feel the need. The need to keep growing revenue. That's [the quote](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUpwLhZh66A&ref=spyglass.org), right? Well, it must be within Apple these days. With the car project having [crashed](https://spyglass.org/rip-apple-car/) if [not](https://spyglass.org/the-apple-car-that-wasnt/) exactly [burned](https://spyglass.org/apple-car-boondoggle/) (there will undoubtedly be some good tech that comes out of it), and the Vision Pro [looking](https://spyglass.org/vision-pro-start-up/) to be [a pretty small business](https://spyglass.org/good-news-okay-news-for-vision-pro/) for the company for quite some time, and Services now [under assault](https://spyglass.org/apple-antitrust-fight/) from all sides, Apple needs a ["what's next"](https://spyglass.org/apple-ai-cook/). Not right now. Not tomorrow. But soon. The problem is there are no [obvious](https://spyglass.org/apple-rings-and-glasses/) prospects. Yes, yes, [AI, AI, AI, AI, AI.](https://spyglass.org/wwdc24-apple-ai/) All they need there is [the infamous step two of "?"](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/profit?ref=spyglass.org) to reach that elusive third step. We'll see. Banking could work, and it already is to some extent with Apple Pay/[Card](https://spyglass.org/apple-card-meet-apple-bank/), but banking is also highly regulated. And not that cool. You know what's cool? Robots. > Apple Inc. has teams investigating a push into personal robotics, a field with the potential to become one of the company’s ever-shifting “next big things,” according to people familiar with the situation. > > 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. Jokes aside, this does seem like the type of project Apple *should* be working on. When you hear the word "robot" you probably immediately think of a humanoid robot like Ava in [*Ex Machina*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex%5FMachina%5F%28film%29?ref=spyglass.org) or, you know, [*The Terminator*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FTerminator?ref=spyglass.org).[1](#footnote) But there's no reason you can't think smaller, quite literally. [Like a robot dog](https://spyglass.org/we-will-be-replaced/). Or even just a fun little thing that follows you around.[2](#footnote) Eventually, you create [Wall-E. And then Eve](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WALL-E?ref=spyglass.org).[3](#footnote) [Perhaps this was always Apple's destiny](https://archive.nytimes.com/bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/wall-e-an-homage-to-mr-jobs/?ref=spyglass.org)... But again, baby steps: > The table-top robotics project first excited senior Apple executives a few years ago, including hardware engineering chief John Ternus and members of the industrial design team. The idea was to have the display mimic the head movements — such as nodding — of a person on a FaceTime session. It would also have features to precisely lock on to a single person among a crowd during a video call. > > But the company has been concerned about whether consumers would be willing to pay top dollar for such a device. There have also been technical challenges related to balancing the weight of a robotic motor on a small stand. The primary obstacle has been disagreement among Apple executives over whether to move forward with the product at all, according to the people. While Gurman notes [Amazon's Astro](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078NSDFSB?ref=spyglass.org) project (and their [attempted](https://spyglass.org/pro-football-pro-parenting-vision-pro/) purchase of Roomba-maker iRobot, [which pointed to this future](https://mgs.blog/thank-you-home-robot-7766650610c1?ref=spyglass.org)), they also, of course, have a version of [their Echo Show smart display](https://www.amazon.co.uk/all-new-echo-show-10-hd-smart-display-with-motion-and-alexa-charcoal/dp/B084P3KP2R?ref=spyglass.org) which moves its screen with you. Apple is already [late to the game](https://500ish.com/apples-missed-facepod-opportunity-b21313e515cd?ref=spyglass.org) for a HomePod with a screen, so you could see this being [a part of that](https://mgs.blog/facepod-lives-2b339e42f058?ref=spyglass.org) (though perhaps not v1). > The original concept for the robot was a device that could navigate entirely on its own without human intervention — like the car — and serve as a videoconferencing tool. One pie-in-the-sky idea within Apple was having it be able to handle chores, like cleaning dishes in a sink. But that would require overcoming extraordinarily difficult engineering challenges — something that’s unlikely this decade. Okay, forget Eve, maybe Apple is creating [Rosey](https://thejetsons.fandom.com/wiki/Rosey?ref=spyglass.org). --- 1 Not to mention [whatever Tesla is working on](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpraXaw7dyc&ref=spyglass.org), if that ever actually ships. 2 A dozen years ago, there was a startup called Romotive, which created an iPhone-controlled cute little robot called [Romo](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/peterseid/romo-the-smartphone-robot?ref=spyglass.org). That tech led both CrunchFund (where I was at the time) and GV (where I am now) to invest in the company. It was too early for that product, but that company [eventually](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipline%5F%28drone%5Fdelivery%5Fcompany%29?ref=spyglass.org) became [Zipline](https://www.flyzipline.com/?ref=spyglass.org). 3 [Sound familiar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K08AaKP8ucc&ref=spyglass.org)?