Amazon has announced that it will discontinue its Astro for Business security robot aimed at small- and medium-sized businesses, as the company redirects its efforts towards household robots.
Initially launched in 2021 as a canine-like robot for household tasks, Astro garnered attention for its capabilities in home monitoring, setting routines, reminders, and entertainment functionalities like playing music and TV shows while moving around the house.
Last November, Amazon expanded Astro’s applications with Astro for Business, targeting customers in retail, manufacturing, health, and wellness sectors. However, in a shift in strategy, Amazon has decided to phase out support for Astro for Business to focus on enhancing Astro’s capabilities for residential use.
“To accelerate our progress and ongoing research to make Astro the best in-home robot, we’ve made the decision to wind down support for Astro for Business,” an Amazon spokesperson told Reuters in a statement.
Priced at $2,349.99 and available exclusively in the U.S., Astro for Business provided continuous business monitoring capabilities. Customers have been informed via email that the Astro for Business robots will cease functioning from September 25.
In response to the discontinuation, Amazon has announced a $300 credit for affected customers, which can be applied towards acquiring an alternative workplace solution. Additionally, customers will no longer be charged the Astro Secure subscription fee effective immediately, with refunds issued for any unused prepaid fees.
