Recently Apple announced that it would be coming to a full stop on production of its EV. In that void, however, it seems Apple has been exploring the idea of developing a home robotics solution, at least according to an article published by Bloomberg on the matter.

This home robotics project is reportedly occurring in tandem with a table-top home display Apple is also working on.

Before Apple scrapped its EV, the company reportedly informed its top executives that the company’s future revolved around three areas: automotive, the home and mixed reality.

With the automotive project scrapped, and mixed reality already being taken care of with the release of the Apple Vision Pro, many experts believe that the next big move for Apple is going to be an innovation that will allow them to better compete in the smart home market.

As of right now, in terms of the big three tech giants with hands in the smart home space (Apple, Amazon, and Google) the latter two have managed to find greater success within these spaces, with Google in particular forging many unique partnerships aimed at expanding the usability of its smart home network.

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Currently, there are only rumors circulating around how Apple might strengthen its smart home offering, with reports of a new HomePod and new ‘homeOS’ potentially being in development.

According to the same Bloomberg story the work surrounding the table-top tablet is happening within Apple’s hardware engineering division and its AI and machine-learning group, with Matt Costello and Brian Lynch — two executives focused on home products — overseeing hardware development on the robotics products.

Still, reports say Apple hasn’t committed to this project as a company, and the work is still considered to be in the early research phase.

As of right now, the idea itself is centered on the display being more of a videoconferencing device more than a smart home hub. As described the display would mimic the head movements — such as nodding — of a person on a FaceTime session. It would also have features to precisely lock on to a single person among a crowd during a video call.

One of the main concerns given by Apple is whether consumers would be willing to pay top dollar for an advanced robotics device. There have also been technical challenges related to balancing the weight of a robotic motor on a small stand.

The comment on cost is worth noting considering one of the main reasons why smart home devices such as Alexa or Google have been able to proliferate the home has largely been due to their affordability, even if that means Amazon or Google must eat the cost to sell them.

The display is further along in development than the robot, according to Bloomberg sources. Both efforts, however, are still in the beginning stages — and it’s unclear if the products will ultimately be released or simply end up as the EV did.

Many, however, point to a “growing pressure” for Apple to find new sources of revenue, and as AI has been dominating the attention of businesses the world over, the pivot to robotics seems like an appropriate moment to leverage AI in a unique and meaningful way.

While there is a chance that this push for robotics could play into the company’s evolution of its smart home ecosystem, what that strategy might entail is still up in the air.

Other technology companies, such as Samsung and Amazon, have announced their own attempts at developing robotic home companions, and Amazon was even set to buy the only prominent home robot manufacturer iRobot before that deal fell through, but as of right now, the Roomba remains the only major home robot that possesses a strong footprint in people’s residences.

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