Amazon Astro home robot

Astro is a home robot designed by Amazon for home security monitoring, remote care of elderly relatives, and as a virtual assistant that can follow a person from room to room.

Released in September 2021 and powered by the company's Alexa smart home technology and facial recognition, it can patrol a home automatically, notify owners if it detects something unusual, and be used to check on pets when people are not in their homes. 

Risks and harms 🛑

The Amazon Astro home robot has raised concerns about potential safety issues such as unreliable person-detection, fragile parts, and the risk of falling down stairs, as well as privacy risks related to its facial recognition technology and vulnerability to cyber attacks.

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58727057

• https://www.vice.com/en/article/akgbbe/amazon-unveils-astro-a-privacy-nightmare-robot-that-follows-you-around

• https://www.vice.com/en/article/93ypp8/leaked-documents-amazon-astro-surveillance-robot-tracking

• https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/28/amazon-robot-a-first-look-at-the-999-astro.html

• https://www.theverge.com/tldr/22699251/amazon-astro-robot-cannot-fetch-your-beer

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/amazons-new-robot-astro-deemed-a-disaster-not-ready-for-release/ar-AAOXss6

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/don-t-be-fooled-amazon-s-astro-isn-t-a-home-robot-it-s-a-camera-on-wheels/ar-AAOXhGe

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/amazon-astro-robot-could-be-a-dangerous-smart-home-device-says-leak/ar-AAOX3y1

• https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/amazon-astro-robot-leak-motherboard-stairs-b1929061.html

• https://interestingengineering.com/amazons-new-home-robot-astro-just-launched-and-it-could-be-a-nightmare

• https://gizmodo.com/amazon-astro-robot-ring-virtual-security-guard-cops-1849591805