Amazon is launching Astro, its first household robot, powered by its Alexa smart home technology. The company said it can be remote-controlled when not at home, to check on pets, people, or home security. It can also patrol a home automatically and send owners a notification if it detects something unusual. The small robot also comes equipped with an extendable "periscope" camera that pops up from its head. The technology and retail giant suggested that the $999.99 (£740) robot could be a help to the elderly. Unlike some rivals, Amazon "is willing to bring highly experimental products to market" and see how customers react, he said. Amazon wants a slice of the robotics market, boldly stating that it believes all homes will have one in five to 10 years.. And while Amazon was keen to convince us that for that you get more than "Alexa on wheels", it was hard to see a compelling use case for this other than to curb that ever-present paranoia that you left the oven on.
