Amazon is getting closer and closer to unleashing its Alexa-powered home robot, but it seems some workers working on it fear it will be an expensive flop.
The technical technician has more than 800 employees working on the top-secret “Vesta,” a Roomba-like device that can roll around a house following the owner’s voice commands, according to Insider.
But development delays and “changing strategies” have worried some employees that it could end up being an expensive niche product that few people will want to buy, the media reported on Tuesday, citing six people directly involved in the project.
“People are very skeptical: we’re worried it could turn into another fire phone,” a source told Insider, referring to the failed smartphone in which Amazon got a $ 170 million discount in 2014 , the year it was released.
Named after the Roman goddess of the home, Vesta has been working for four years under the auspices of Lab126, Amazon’s personal device unit that created the popular Kindle e-reader and Echo’s personal assistant.
With a prototype between 10 and 13 inches wide, the gadget will likely be equipped with a screen, a microphone, several cameras and a small compartment to carry objects, sources told Insider.
It can also come with a retractable camera mounted on a stick that could help its owner find missing objects such as wallets or keys, according to the report.
But it seems unclear with what popularity it could be given that its price could fetch more than $ 1,000. Amazon anticipates low sales and may initially turn Vesta into a “limited product for limited invitations,” limiting the risk of stacking unused inventories, according to Insider.
Amazon has also tried to cut costs by moving one of its Vesta suppliers to Mexico from China, but the change caused production problems that pushed back the launch of the gadget, the media reported.
Asked about the Insider report, an Amazon spokesman said the company does not comment on “rumors and speculation.”