Apple continues to search for the next breakthrough product that will help it remain dominant in the market and provide a new source of revenue after abandoning plans to develop its own electric car. According to Bloomberg ‘s Mark Gurman , one of the areas the company is exploring is personal robotics. Apple has reportedly begun studying robots and electric vehicles at the same time, in hopes of developing a machine that does not require human intervention.
While Apple’s robotics projects are still in the very early stages, Bloomberg reports that the company has already begun work on a mobile robot that can follow users around the house, and has already developed a desktop device that uses a robot to move the screen. The idea is to create a machine that can mimic head movements and be able to lock onto one person in a group, presumably for a better video calling experience. True, this is such a narrow scope of application that its practical use is questionable.
Since the robots are expected to navigate independently, the company is also exploring the use of algorithms for navigation. According to the report, Apple’s home devices group is responsible for their development.
However, robots are not phones in the sense that people these days do not need them in their lives. Apple appears to be concerned about whether people will pay a “high price” for its robots, and executives are still unable to agree on whether the company should continue working on these projects.
Gurman previously reported that Apple could sell its electric car for $100,000—if true, the company would have greater potential for revenue growth. But now the Apple Car is out of the picture, and the company is reportedly focusing all its attention on the Vision Pro and new home products, including a home hub with an iPad display.