Amazon Astro

What it's for

Astro is a robot on wheels that was meant to move into the home like a cat: it rolls from room to room, listens for Alexa and looks around through a periscope camera. Its main uses are home monitoring and voice assistance on wheels. You can send it to check whether a light was left on in the kitchen, or ask it about the weather while you are standing in another room. Amazon sold this home-patrol function in 2021, backed by a trial subscription to Ring Protect. In practice it is a light form of home patrol, not a cleaner or a cook: Astro lifts nothing and has no arm. At home it fits the role of a mobile camera and speaker for someone who already lives in the Alexa ecosystem. The commercial variant, "Astro for Business", intended for office patrols, was withdrawn and remotely disabled on September 25, 2024, and Amazon refunded 2,349.99 USD for it. That is a signal that office and security uses (security) did not work out. In a Polish home (homes) the robot is not officially offered, so it is more of a curiosity than a realistic purchase. If you want a companion at home, we suggest comparing it with the smaller robots in the category “Home robots”.

Who it's for

Makes sense for: smart-home enthusiasts deeply tied to Alexa and Ring who can import the device from the US and accept the lack of official support in Poland. Also collectors, and people who want to see what the first serious attempt by the American giant looked like.

Who it does not suit: anyone who expects help with housework, care for an elderly person, or a secure product future. Amazon does not treat the Astro line as a priority, which is plain to see after the withdrawal of the business version. Nor is it a robot for companies: for cleaning or service, reach for “Commercial Cleaning Robots in Practice” instead.

Deployments

Outside Poland, the only documented commercial use is the withdrawn business variant for office patrols. In the home category, see what others offer: home robots and “1X Neo Home Robot on Pre-Order”, which presents a more ambitious vision of a helper robot.

If you want a home companion robot rather than a camera on wheels, look at smaller models. EMO and Eilik are desktop robots with character, many times cheaper. Loona Petbot imitates a pet and works well with children. Enabot EBO Air 2 is a mobile camera for the home, the closest functional match for the monitoring role. Finally there is Samsung Ballie, announced as a spherical alternative; next to it, Astro is a product you can actually buy, whereas Ballie stayed a promise for a long time.

Amazon unveiled Astro in September 2021 on an invitation-only basis, with a launch price of 999.99 USD. According to press reports, only a limited number of units were sold. In July 2024 Amazon ended the Astro for Business offer, and on September 25, 2024 the business units were remotely disabled. Amazon was founded in 1994 in Seattle. No later generations have been recorded.