Amazon’s Astro robot is still a thing, and it is now a bit smarter than it was a year ago. Are you ready for a world in which robots can call the cops?
Amazon unveiled the cute — and somewhat creepy – Astro robot a year ago, pushing it as an Alexa-ready tablet on wheels that will follow you around. A year later, the company is adding a couple of neat tricks to its kitty. The first one is the ability to call the authorities if the situation demands it. Targeted at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), this new feature works in tandem with Ring security cameras that offer the Vital Security Guard feature. This functionality lets the camera send alerts if it detects motion. Amazon is tying that system to the Astro robot.
Every time a Ring camera alarm goes off after spotting a suspicious movement, a professional monitoring team will take over Astro’s camera hardware remotely to see what’s going on. If the remote monitoring agents detect any concerning activity like a break-in, they will directly inform the appropriate law enforcement body.
