Amazon’s secret house robot, Vesta, is reportedly in a late prototype stage of development

Amazon seems to have reached the ‘late prototype stage’ with the creation of its secret home robot codenamed Vesta, a new report from Insider. The device has been under development for about four years and now employs more than 800 people, according to the publication. When the robot is launched, it will be one of Amazon’s biggest and most ambitious new products, in the form of the Echo, Kindle and Fire Phone.

Indeed, these are comparisons to the latter device, Amazon’s failed smartphone project, which apparently relates to some of those involved in Vesta’s development. “People are very skeptical – we’m worried it could turn into another Fire Phone,” one of the six anonymous sources quoted Insider as ‘directly involved in the project’ told the publication.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

As with any other unannounced device of this scale, there is an abundance of unanswered questions and uncertain details. However, the basic premise is that Vesta will be an Amazon Echo on wheels: a voice-activated assistant that can navigate through your home, respond to your commands, and interface with other smart devices.

InsiderThe report contains a number of interesting and speculative details, including the suggestion that the device is the size of ‘two small cats’ – about 10 to 13 centimeters wide (your conversion may depend on your cats). The robot will apparently be equipped with a screen, microphone and several cameras. Additional features may include sensors for monitoring temperature, humidity and air quality; a ‘small compartment’ to carry objects; and a “waist-retractable pole with a camera” that can be combined with a machine vision technology to help users find items around their home such as keys and wallets.

Vesta, named after the Roman goddess of the fireplace, shows Amazon’s constant quest to embed its products in the heart of customers’ homes. Over the years, the company has launched a number of devices that try to expand their reach in kitchens and bedrooms, from the discontinued Dash Wand, which allows users to order grocery products by scanning barcodes, to the Always Home Cam, a mini drone announced. last year by Amazon-owned Amazon, which provides mobile surveillance around the house.

Insider says Amazon has developed Vesta as a ‘top priority’, but that the early sales projections are modest. “According to the people, Amazon may initially launch it as a limited invitation product, similar to what it did with its fitness group Halo,” the publication says. This can prevent the company from wasting resources on unsold inventory. Even mobile robots will not stand up and sell themselves.