Amazon Might Be Building Robots That Follow You Around

Amazon has been working on a secret project, and they’ve already hired people from the robotics industry to work in their Alexa division.

By nowproducerdave on April 24, 2018
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Ok, Amazon, we get it, you want to be everywhere. But robots that follow you around like a little lost puppy might be going too far – especially if it whines outside the bathroom door. Amazon may just be working on personal assistant robots, so Alexa can go everywhere you go.

It’s not exactly confirmed, but the rumors are flying and being confirmed by people who are, quote, “familiar with the plans.” Sound cryptic, just like the whole people-following robots idea. Ahem. The project, at least internally, is being called “Vesta,” who was the Roman Goddess of things like home and family. Maybe a little less creepy? Something to help confirm those rumors are some job openings listed on the “Lab 126” website (Lab 126 is Amazon’s research department, they made the Echo and other Amazon-branded gadgets). The openings are for jobs like “Software Engineer, Robotics,” and “Principle Sensors Engineer.” Other sources say that Amazon has already hired other mechanical engineers from the robotics industry. Cut-and-dry, we think.

See also, Amazon’s new office is basically a rainforest.

So what does this mean? Well, it’s only speculation, and it may be several years before anything happens or is released, but it sounds like they really are trying to make some sort of “robot.” Whether it’s something that will “walk,” or roll, or follow us around like a dog (Remember the Sony Aibo?), we’ll just have to wait for some more info to leak. Perhaps a drone for the home? Will it do chores? Heck, it could just be an updated version of an automatic vacuum for all we know. Would you be ok with an Amazon Alexa device that goes everywhere you go? Check out some more info on the rumors and speculation here. We’re getting closer to living like “The Jetsons” by the day, really.

Around the site