A new report suggests that Apple and Meta could end up competing in the humanoid robots field. The social media company is said to be making “significant investment” in this product category, with a focus on household chores.
But if Apple does proceed with its own reported domestic robot plans, the Cupertino company could have a huge advantage …
Apple’s robot plans
Say the word ‘robot’ to most people and they immediately think of a sci-fi humanoid robot able to perform domestic chores – a kind of robobutler.
Apple is already rumored to be working on this type of device. Bloomberg last year described this as a “skunk-works project,” a name given to something worked on by a small team of people acting largely on their own initiative, and quite distinct from the company’s main product development roadmap.
I expressed my view at the time that this is a decade or more away, if Apple even goes forward with it. Indeed, a report last week suggested that we may be waiting several years just for a relatively simple table-top robot, despite the revelation of that cute table lamp.
Bloomberg reports that Meta has developed a strong interest in AI-powered humanoid robots, seeing this as a key focus.
Meta has identified its next big bet: AI-powered humanoid robots. The company is making a significant investment into the category — futuristic robots that can act like humans and assist with physical tasks […]
Meta plans to work on its own humanoid robot hardware, with an initial focus on household chores [and] has started discussing its plan with robotics companies, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc […]
Meta confirmed the creation of the new team to employees Friday.
Interestingly, it suggests that the first robot may not have Meta branding; the company is more interested in providing the AI smarts for hardware built by other brands. However, it says that we may see Meta-branded robots further down the line.
While I still see truly capable domestic robots as a long-term bet, if there’s one thing likely to accelerate the timeline it’s multiple companies competing in the same area. Perhaps Meta’s jump into this field might see Apple’s humanoid robot project promoted from hobby to something more mainstream within the company.
So far, autonomous robots have been geared to commercial use. This includes Boston Dynamics’ dog-like Spot, designed for patrol and inspection duties, and looking like something straight out of a terrifying dystopian SF movie in which packs of these device hunt down humans. But the company does have the humanoid Atlas model in development, pitched at warehouse and manufacturing duties.
The transition to domestic work is likely to take significantly longer simply because of the very different price points consumer robots have to hit. Tesla is working on a model it expects to cost $30,000, which is a very niche market even if the real price doesn’t end up being inflated in the usual Tesla-esque way.
Apple may have one huge advantage
Having a humanoid robot in your home is going to be a pretty scary prospect for many, not least because it could feel almost as intrusive as having a stranger in your home – a stranger equipped with multiple cameras.
Apple’s privacy focus and reputation could turn out to be a very big advantage.
Photo by Alex Knight on Unsplash
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