Apple transformed our lives forever by introducing touchscreen phones with the iPhone. And it became one of the largest companies in the world, topping the list of S&P 500 firms, according to Investopedia.
But Apple has a new problem: it has become too big. Business Insider reported that its “installed base” of iPhones has stopped growing because it already has too many customers.
That is why it is developing new products that will encourage more people to join the Apple space. Believe it or not, one of those could be mobile robots!
Apple Insider Mark Gurman said the Cupertino tech giant is exploring various “personal robotics” projects to create its “next big thing.”
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He wrote on Bloomberg that one of these projects is a “mobile robot” that would “follow users around their homes.”
MacRumors reported that another is an “advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around”:
“Engineers at Apple have been exploring a mobile robot that can follow users around their homes, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the skunk-works project is private. The iPhone maker also has developed an advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around.”
The tech firm is also testing AI algorithms that would help robots “navigate cluttered spaces within people’s homes.”
The Bloomberg writer claimed Apple wanted to create a mobile robot that can “handle chores, like cleaning dishes in a sink.”
However, he said this project is unlikely this decade due to “extraordinarily difficult engineering challenges.”
Gurman also described ideas Apple had for the tabletop bot. He says one idea was for the display to “mimic the head movements” of a person on a FaceTime video call.
But Apple allegedly faced technical difficulties related to “balancing the weight of a robotic motor on a small stand.”
These robotics projects are reportedly in the earliest research phases, and it is unclear whether Apple would release any to the public.