Apple is working on a 'lifelike' robot lamp, and it's just as cute as you'd expect

AppleInsider

Apple Machine Learning Research has released a short video and a twelve-page accompanying paper showcasing the importance of human-like movement in its prototyped robot.

Image Credit: Apple Machine Learning Research

This isn't the first time we've heard Apple may be gearing up to release an Apple robot. In April 2024, rumors of Apple's secretive robotics work surfaced, with the company alleged to be designing two different robots.

Now, it seems as though Apple's hardware engineering division and AI group have produced something worth showing off. And frankly, the design is a little too familiar.

The new tabletop robot, first spotted by MacRumors, isn't just lamp-like -- it is a lamp. It's not hard to draw direct comparisons to Luxo Jr, Pixar's mascot.

The video starts by showcasing the robot's lifelike movement.

The movement is called ELEGNT, which stands for expressive and functional movement design for non-anthropomorphic robot. It seems a bit of a stretch as far as acronyms go, however, it does move in a rather elegant way.

It's immediately evident that the viewer is meant to be endeared to the robot. The fluid and expressive movements convey a curious, gentle demeanor.

The video demonstrates how a lifelike, non-anthropomorphic robot could interact with a person. The person uses gestures to control the robot, showing how waving, pointing, and pushing could be used to bring the light closer, change its focus, or move it further away. When they move the book, the robot follows.

Another use case could be switching from a desk lamp to a projector. A person working on a 3D printer demonstrates this as the robot pulls up and projects a relevant tutorial to help them.

But, overall, it highlights how an expressive robot could enhance user engagement. This is especially notable when the person asks the robot to check the weather, and it first turns to look out a window.

"Through a user study comparing expression-driven versus function-driven movements across six task scenarios, our findings indicate that expression-driven movements significantly enhance user engagement and perceived robot qualities," the abstract reads.

"This effect is especially pronounced in social-oriented tasks."

It's likely that this robot is the same one we had heard about in August. It has been suggested that the robot could be slated for release as early as 2026 or 2027, and is planned to have a price in the region of $1,000.



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blastdoor

I think I'm experiencing a failure of imagination because I can't figure out why I would want or need a robot that roams around on my physical desktop or tabletop. 

But I'm happy to be enlightened if anyone has ideas... 

coolfactor

blastdoor said:

I think I'm experiencing a failure of imagination because I can't figure out why I would want or need a robot that roams around on my physical desktop or tabletop. 

But I'm happy to be enlightened if anyone has ideas... 

Part of Apple's brilliance with technology is to make technology "invisible". Making technology more "life-like" is one big step in that direction. It's not about this being a robot. It's about its abilities and expressive two-way communication. Body "language" is just as important for communication as spoken language. This intelligent technology could be packaged in so many creative ways.

daalseth

I fail to see where waving my hand at a lamp to hope and get it to understand where I want it to point is better than just grabbing it and pointing it. 

xed

I don't that product is entirely practical, but, as the article notes, I see why they are doing it with this being the first release after Jobs bought Pixar in 1986.

I either had forgotten or never knew when this animated short came out. 38.5 years ago.

edited February 6

mattinoz

blastdoor said:

I think I'm experiencing a failure of imagination because I can't figure out why I would want or need a robot that roams around on my physical desktop or tabletop. 

But I'm happy to be enlightened if anyone has ideas... 

that is exactly what Apple wants. Tech demos or drawings that are public before the product need to be as far from the product as possible 

hodar

Waiting for Pixar to sue for copyright infringement ....
Yes, the world is that silly.

byronl

Very interesting. Robots are going to be everywhere, but they won’t look like robots.

 Apple won’t simply make a humanoid robot but they will integrate robotics in everyday objects and furniture. At least they’re exploring that.

 Very interesting. Robotics will be huge in the next few years and decades, glad Apple is doing something different.

entropys

At first I reckon that would be extremely cool to play around with but I suspect very creepy about 3.14159 seconds into doing any work.

as said earlier, Apple would produce something effectively invisible.

iqatedo

blastdoor said:

I think I'm experiencing a failure of imagination because I can't figure out why I would want or need a robot that roams around on my physical desktop or tabletop. 

But I'm happy to be enlightened if anyone has ideas... 

Add a dextrous manipulator and I'm in. I often need three hands when hand soldering and the ability to sense and work with tiny components would be brilliant (my eyes aren't so good now). I'd have (a manipulative lol) ELEGNT any day.

mattinoz

entropys said:

At first I reckon that would be extremely cool to play around with but I suspect very creepy about 3.14159 seconds into doing any work.

as said earlier, Apple would produce something effectively invisible.

If it makes pie then it’s welcome in my house. 

michelb76

Regardless of who might want this, this is a great steppingstone into robotics for Apple. Now imagine this with a tablet on its end that show a face, has a light that can project info onto a wall or ceiling. Much better than a static Siri tablet on your wall or counter.

edited February 7

badmonk

OK, watched the video.  I now get it.  I want one.  Do I need one?  No, but rather this than a Tesla creepazoid humanoid spy wandering around my house.

goodbyeranch

I don't need another screen in my life, but I do need a lamp and a projector. Love.

apple4thewin

Xed said:

I don't that product is entirely practical, but, as the article notes, I see why they are doing it with this being the first release after Jobs bought Pixar in 1986.

I either had forgotten or never knew when this animated short came out. 38.5 years ago.

If Apple’s doesn’t make it try jumping on the letter I and crushing it, then I don’t want it. But wow it was that long ago? I knew it was before I was born, but that far back?

amberneely

DAalseth said:

I fail to see where waving my hand at a lamp to hope and get it to understand where I want it to point is better than just grabbing it and pointing it. 

Hey, I'm with you on this one. I am pretty decidedly anti-gimmick and I really do not like the idea of needing to have an annoying interaction with an object like a lamp to do what I want. 

nealc5

I suspect that the "endearing" qualities are exaggerated for the demo. A more realistic product would probably be somewhere in between the purely functional, and the over expressive puppy. 

22july2013

I have enough difficulties getting my smart home light bulbs to act reliably and predictably.

alandail

They aren't releasing a lamp, that's an R&D project to develop technology for another product, not a planned product itself.

feasts_05_edamame

For those didn’t  notice, in the home app this icon is already animated .

Select one of your lamp, change the icon and you will see the only lamp moving is the Pixar lamp.

ireland

This lamp example is at least as annoying that how AI chatbots have "personality" and give you much more information than you had asked for, including answers to questions you never asked. AGI is right around the corner they say, and right now AI isn't just wrong the whole time, but annoying.

edited February 12