(chill hip hop music)
Every year,
Amazon releases a batch of ambitiously futuristic devices.
But, while past projects like the Echo Frames
feel like something out of SkyMall,
that hasn't stopped Amazon's Day 1 department
from dreaming big.
This year, Amazon introduced Astro,
the home security robot designed to patrol your home,
bring you drinks,
and give your pets nightmares.
Amazon Astro comes
with a lot of impressive onboard features.
Its Intelligent Motion allows it
to move around obstacles like furniture
and corners more smoothly
than your Roomba could ever dream of.
It also allows Astro to follow you around the house,
blasting Ed Sheeran, like this CNBC reporter experienced.
[Reporter] Astro, play "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeran.
[Astro] "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeran,
on Amazon Music.
That same clip shows Astro in motion,
and it moves way faster than I would have thought.
And, like your Roomba, Astro will tuck itself
right into the charging dock
when it needs a break.
Along with a front-facing camera, mic
and speakers, Astro also comes
with an onboard periscope camera that can reach up
and check if your oven is on,
or if there are any cookies left on the counter.
Astro is far from the first household robot
to hit the market.
As CNET pointed out, companies have been trying
to make copies of the Jetson's Rosie the Robot for years,
and honestly, Astro's mannerisms remind me a lot
of a certain hot toy from the early 2000s,
but Astro does a lot more
than just a really good WALL-E impression.
It can serve as a tiny security guard
that can watch your home while you're away.
With its knowledge of your family
and home, it can check on the kids
or even older members of your family.
When paired with Ring Protect Pro,
Astro becomes a moving, listening
and watching part of your security system.
It will also be compatible
with Amazon's upcoming emergency service
Amazon Together.
It's designed to help older adults live independently
for longer.
Plus, Amazon has finally delivered
what the people really want.
(funky dance music) Robot dance parties.
(chill hip hop music) It's clear
that Amazon wants us to see Astro as a friendly,
lovable helper, ready to assist your family,
whether you're home or away.
It doesn't ask for much, just a steady Wi-Fi signal,
a charging dock,
and near unlimited access to your floor plan
and families' faces.
While Amazon is moving in the right direction
with this autonomous camera
and mic dressed up like a toddler,
dressed up like a robot for Halloween,
we are still a little suspicious.
Here's what we found.
Like Alexa, you can disable Astro's mic
and camera at any time.
You can also set out-of-bounds zones where Astro won't go.
If you use the visual ID feature, images
and numerical data on your face will be stored locally,
as well as images
and footage of your home.
But any livestreaming you do from the Astro app,
the Alexa app, or through your Ring subscription
will go through the Amazon Cloud.
It's encrypted, but that's not a guarantee.
And Astro does have an indicator light
to tell you it's live.
It also stores any audio it records
after you use the wake word,
and it sends a map of your home to the cloud,
not like images or video,
but more like a digital rendering.
But, given Amazon
and Ring's history with privacy, hackers
and data leaks, we're not totally convinced.
Seeing all of these pieces of security tech come together
in one device is really cool.
Individually, these things are really impressive,
but, when it's rolled into one package...
it's creepy.
I'll just go ahead
and say it. It's creepy.
Like I said, I can appreciate seeing
all of these years of tech
and advancements rolled into one.
But when you factor that, plus Ring
and Amazon's rap sheet with privacy, police relations,
and data breaches, this cute little robot
feels a lot more sinister.
While I doubt that Astro will be the hot new device
on everyone's wishlist,
especially since it's invitation only
and costs $1000, I do think it's a matter of time
until someone finds that perfect secret formula
for a mobile household robot,
one that people will actually want.
But, I don't think Astro's the one.
Despite throwing in a periscope, cup holders,
and a cute screen face,
Astro feels like another way for Amazon to sneak Alexa
and any data gathering methods it can dream up
into our homes.
And while there are some security perks to Astro,
I can't help but wonder why Amazon is so eager
to push the smart platform
into as many disguises as possible.
So, what do you think about Astro?
Is Amazon putting enough privacy measures in place
or is there something you want more?
And what would it take to make a home robot
that people are actually comfortable with?
Thanks for watching this week's Cool or Creepy.
Stay safe.
Right Astro?
(digital beeping noises)