Jul 04, 2024
Amazon’s Astro for Business, a robot designed for workplace security, with features like custom patrols, direct investigations of triggered Ring Alarm sensors, and support for Virtual Security Guard is being discontinued less than a year after its launch.
The company is now focusing on developing robots for home use, a move that highlights the potential of consumer robotics.
What’s changing?
Amazon will end support for Astro for Business, invalidating devices by September 25. For customers that purchased the $2,349.99 device, a full refund will be given with an additional $300 credit for any replacement solution.
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The company will now centre its growth and innovation on home robotics. Still, the in-home version of Astro will be preserved, and the company is very excited for the in-home experiences it is inventing for the robot.
As a result, Astro for Business customers will have access to their device blocked and their personal data deleted. Any recorded videos will still be accessible through Ring app until the video storage time expires or the Ring Protect subscription ends.
Amazon encourages customers to recycle their devices through the Amazon Recycling Program, which covers the costs associated with shipping and recycling. The discontinuation of Astro for Business may have disappointed customers, but it also shows how Amazon never stops improving or working on customer-oriented solutions.
The company is not laying off any workers due to the pivot, and instead, they will be reassigned to work on home robotics projects. With the advancement of generative AI, home robots like Astro have the potential to become even more integrated into our daily lives.
