According to Tech Crunch, this research is said to be still in its early stages and it will likely take years before a commercial product is launched.
A recent Apple research paper looked at how humans interact with non-humanoid robots, like a Pixar-style lamp that can move on its own.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, this research could be the basis for a future robot product, but at the moment it is just an initial test. He also compared this research to the Apple Car project, which was canceled in the early stages. According to Ming-Chi Kuo's prediction, the earliest time for mass production could be 2028.
It’s worth noting that Apple, which is notoriously secretive about its projects, has been quite public in the field of robotics. Releasing research papers helps attract engineers and foster collaboration with research institutes, which are essential to developing such complex technology.
Kuo believes that Apple is more interested in how humans build perception of robots than just how they look. This implies that sensing hardware and software will be the core technology that Apple is developing. Currently, Apple is still experimenting with different approaches, from simple systems to more complex humanoid robots.
Kuo describes Apple’s research as part of a future smart home ecosystem that could range from a humanoid robot capable of performing household chores to a smart device with a mechanical arm. Leaks suggest Apple may be leaning toward the latter, as a full-blown humanoid robot is unlikely to be released anytime soon.
Companies like 1X, Figure, and Apptronik are developing humanoid robots for industrial use, with the ambition of eventually bringing them into the home. But price and reliability remain major hurdles. If the Vision Pro’s $3,499 price tag is controversial, the price of a humanoid robot is likely to be much higher.
After abandoning the Apple Car project and struggling with the rollout of Vision Pro and Apple Intelligence, Apple appears to be approaching the robotics space cautiously. While the company has experience popularizing tech products, the home robot market has seen its fair share of failures.
For now, the only thing that’s certain is that Apple is exploring robotics. There will be plenty of leaks and speculation surrounding the project for at least the next three years.
