Apple Engineers Now Working on Personal Robots After Dropping Electric Car Project

Bloomberg reports that Apple has shifted its focus from electric cars to personal robots, intending to sell AI-powered assistants to households. This move follows the abandonment of Apple's electric car project, which it had been working on for the past decade.

Apple Is Now Working on Personal Robots

Apple engineers are currently immersed in developing personal robots, a significant departure from their previous electric vehicle (EV) technology endeavors. This shift in focus, reported by Bloomberg, stresses Apple's ambition to diversify its product offerings and explore new revenue streams.

The initiative revolves around creating robots designed to assist users within their homes. These robots are envisioned to follow individuals around and provide helpful services, potentially ranging from household chores to videoconferencing support.

The decision to pivot towards personal robots follows Apple's decision to abandon its ambitions in the electric car market. Despite years of speculation and intermittent leaks, the tech giant recently ended its decade-long EV project, opting instead to focus on other promising ventures.

Before scrapping the EV project, Apple told senior executives that the company's future would center on three areas: automotive, home, and mixed reality.

A New Industry Trend in Personal Robotics

Apple's interest in personal robotics aligns with broader industry trends, with major tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon actively investing in AI development and deployment.

Other prominent technology companies recently turned their focus to helping develop humanoid robots. Recently, OpenAI reportedly collaborated with humanoid robot manufacturer Figure to create AI-powered workplace robots.

By leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence, Apple aims to carve out a significant presence in consumers' homes, potentially revolutionizing how people interact with technology daily.

The robotics project is under the purview of Apple's hardware engineering division and its AI and machine-learning group, which are led by prominent company executives.

While these robotic assistants' ultimate success and commercialization remain uncertain, Apple has posted calls for robotics-related positions on its website, indicating that the company is interested in growing the project's teams.

"Our team works at the intersection of modern machine learning and robotics to shape the AI that will power the next generation of Apple products," based on the post.

In Other News

According to new rumors, iOS 18 will get a redesign, focusing not only on the smartphone experience but also on delivering a visionOS-like look when it arrives.

Apple's massive success with Vision Pro and mixed reality experiences is said to inspire Cupertino's future developments, including an aspect of it for iOS 18.

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