Amazon is approaching the launch of its Alexa-powered home robot – but some employees who work on it fear it will be an expensive failure.
The tech titan has more than 800 employees working on the highly secretive “Vesta”, a Roomba-like device that will be able to roll around a house following the owner’s voice commands, according to Insider.
But development delays and “change strategies” fear that some employees will become an expensive niche product that few people will want to buy, the vehicle said on Tuesday, citing six people directly involved in the project.
“People are very skeptical – we are concerned that it could turn into another Fire Phone,” said a source to Insider, referring to the unsuccessful smartphone on which Amazon had a $ 170 million reduction in 2014, the year that was released.
Named after the Roman goddess of the fireplace, Vesta has reportedly been working for four years under the auspices of Lab126, the personal device unit from Amazon that created the popular Kindle e-reader and personal assistant speaker Echo.
With a prototype coming in 10 to 13 inches wide, the gadget will likely be equipped with a screen, a microphone, several cameras and a small compartment to carry objects, insider sources said.
It may also come with a retractable camera mounted on a pole that can help its owner find lost objects, such as wallets or keys, the report says.
But it is unclear exactly how popular it can be, given that its price can reach $ 1,000. Amazon is projecting low sales and may initially make Vesta a “limited-only product for guests”, limiting the risk of accumulating unused stock, according to Insider.
Amazon also tried to cut costs by transferring one of its Vesta suppliers from China to Mexico, but the change led to production problems that further delayed the gadget’s launch, the store said.
Asked about the Insider report, an Amazon spokesman said the company did not comment on “rumors and speculation.”