Amazon.com announced on Wednesday that it will discontinue its security robot, Astro for Business, for small- and medium-sized businesses as it shifts its focus to household robots. The e-commerce giant initially launched the canine-like robot for household use in 2021 before introducing Astro for Business last November for a range of customers including retail, manufacturing, health, and wellness.
In an email statement to Reuters, an Amazon spokesperson explained that the decision to wind down support for Astro for Business was made in order to accelerate progress and ongoing research to make Astro the best in-home robot. The home robot was designed to perform tasks such as home monitoring, setting up routines and reminders, and playing music and TV shows while rolling around the house.
The Astro for Business robot, priced at $2,349.99, was exclusively available in the U.S. and aimed to help customers monitor their business round the clock. However, the robots will cease to be functional from Sept. 25, according to an email sent by the company to customers. Amazon has announced a $300 credit for affected customers to support finding a replacement solution for the workplace.
Additionally, customers will not be charged the Astro Secure subscription fee starting Wednesday and will receive refunds for any unused prepaid fees. Amazon is focusing on developing household robots and will be discontinuing the Astro for Business robot to prioritize their progress in this area.
Customers have expressed disappointment over the discontinuation of Astro for Business but are grateful for Amazon’s efforts to improve its product offerings in this space.
“We are excited about what we can achieve with our new focus on household robots,” said Jeff Bezos CEO of Amazon during a press conference earlier today.
“Astro is a great example of how innovation can drive growth,” added Bezos.
As Amazon continues its journey towards becoming a leader in household technology products, it is clear that its commitment to innovation remains strong despite challenges faced by some of its products along the way.