Apple’s electric car dreams may have shattered, but the tech giant isn’t stopping experimenting. According to the latest Bloomberg report, Apple is now setting its sights on a new home robotics project.
Apple’s Early Stage Robotic Projects
The report suggests that Apple is considering making a robot to follow customers around the house. They’re also working on a smart display that can move around on its own.
These projects are still in the early stages, with the smart display being further along than the personal robot. The idea behind the personal robot is that it could do activities like joining users on video calls or even helping with chores like washing dishes. However, making this happen would require some big technological advances.
On the other hand, the smart display is designed to mimic human gestures during video calls. However, Apple executives are worried that people might not want to pay extra for something like this and are also concerned about how heavy the robot components would be.
Competition in the Market
Apple isn’t the only tech company dabbling in personal robotics. Amazon’s Astro robot, designed for home monitoring, costs around Rs 2,00,000. Samsung has also shown off its Ballie robot, a smart home assistant with a built-in projector.
Why Apple Ended Its Electric Car Project
Apple abandoned its electric car project, internally called “Titan”, due to several factors. According to leaks and rumours, there were complications with the autonomous driving capabilities, which led to a decrease in the level of autonomy from Level 4 to Level 2+. This meant that the driver would still need to pay attention to the road, which did not meet Apple’s expectations.
Furthermore, Apple is known for its “all-or-nothing” ideology, where the tech giant aims for the highest standards and will not release a product until it meets those standards. It is said that this ideology also played a crucial role in the closure of the electric car project.
Additionally, the electric vehicle industry has been struggling with challenges such as high upfront costs, lack of proper charging infrastructure, lower range, and slow adoption compared to gasoline vehicles.
