Apple's Siri-enabled robots are running behind, but still coming
Apple's smart home plan still involves robotics at its core, with the robot arm equipped with a display and an interesting retro-inspired assistant based on the Finder icon all in testing.
An artist's impression of the robot arm
Apple is widely believed to be working on multiple smart home projects, as it seeks ways to expand its empire. The rumors have included the use of robotic components, and those claims are persisting in the rumor mill.
In a Wednesday report from Bloomberg, Apple is still planning to bring its robot arm out as a product. Repeatedly surfacing, the concept of the device is a robot arm with an iPad on the end, allowing it to move to face people in the local area.
The screen will turn to face others, to acknowledge people speaking to it, or to catch the attention of others. Rather than pings or other obvious visual or auditory indications, this would be a more subtle method of communication that is similar to other human-to-human interactions.
An example of this is the "ELEGNT" style of movement, motion, and interaction demonstrated by Apple Machine Learning Research in February. Using a lamp reminiscent of the Pixar logo, it was demonstrated how a robot could communicate with someone in a non-verbal and intuitive manner, reacting to the user's actions.
A "Pixar Lamp" robot - Image Credit: Apple Machine Learning Research
The device will also be a natural display for FaceTime calls at home. Like a physical version of the iPad's Center Stage feature, the screen would be able to lock on to people in the room, and physically move to keep them in frame.
An iPhone interface could be used to provide manual control for the arm, so it could be pointed at other participants.
Siri and... Finder?
With Siri set to be the heart of the device's workings, it will need to have more of a relatable character and change how it interacts. Evidently, this also means having a face.
It is claimed that Apple has already tested a version of Siri speaking to users. The face of that test apparently resembled the Finder logo, the smiley face from macOS.
Apple may not necessarily use the Finder logo for the final Siri. It is proposed that designers are also thinking more towards creating a character similar to Memoji in form.
Apple plans for the robot to be effectively a separate entity in the room, as if it's a person in some ways. While people could be engaged in conversation about dinner plans, the robot could butt in politely with suggestions of nearby restaurants.
Back-and-forth conversations are also anticipated between the user and the robot.
To get this far, Siri has to be improved and given a personality. Apple's current approach is allegedly referred to as Bubbles, and is less charitably said to be reminiscent of Microsoft's Clippy.
A group effort
Apple's faith in the robotic revolution of the smart home is allegedly considerable enough to have a lot of people working on it. While the report doesn't say how many are working on the concept, it is apparently being handled by teams in the AI, hardware, software, and interface design groups.
The overall lead is Kevin Lynch, who had previously assisted with smartwatch software and automotive projects.
The robot arm concept is not the only one under development within Apple. Several are in development, including a wheeled robot similar to Amazon's Astro.
There is also a mention of humanoid models being discussed internally.
Apple isn't just looking at the home when it comes to robotics. A large arm, codenamed T1333, is apparently under development for use in manufacturing or for backroom tasks in retail stores.
While the whiff of robot arms may excite some in the Trump Administration, it's not going to help Apple's manufacturing in the U.S. just yet. The strong-arm effort is unlikely to result in a productive appendage for several years.
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