Astro robot: Your virtual security guard from Amazon

Amazon revealed a robot named Astro during its September 2021 hardware event. At the time, the company said it believes, in five to 10 years, every home will have a robot.

Now, the company has announced a new version of Astro designed to serve as an automated security guard for businesses.

Earlier the company described Astro as a "new kind of household robot that integrates Alexa, advanced hardware, software, computer vision, and AI". It even equipped Astro with what it calls a "unique persona" - which includes sounds, eyes on the display, and wheels to move around. Astro is reminiscent of WALL-E, but it's built on top of Fire OS and Linux, making it more of a Fire tablet on wheels.\

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Essentially, Amazon Astro for Business takes the existing Astro robot and turns it into an autonomous security robot that can offer intelligent alerts, custom patrol routes, and scheduled patrols, much like you'd get with a human security guard but without the hourly pay and degree of human error. The robot can check in on a business after hours or patrol and send alerts if something is wrong, which could end up paying for itself in the long run.

Astro for Business can map up to 5,000 square feet, which should cover the needs of most small businesses, but it won't be enough for Astro to lock down a vast warehouse or factory. Perhaps Amazon could expand the range in the future, but it's a good starting point for now.

Some other cool features include a live view and the ability to have a two-way conversation with people near Astro. Astro includes an HD periscope camera with night vision and visual ID to receive unrecognized person smart alerts. That means it can distinguish between an employee working after hours and an unwelcome intruder.

Currently the monthly subscription based virtual security guard is only available in US.