Smart Home: Amazon unveils a home robot in a bid for the connected future

Same name as the Jetsons’ dog... Except it has a tablet for a head. Amazon rolled out new home gadgets at its hardware event last week, including a smart thermostat and a wall-mounted echo. The most interesting drop: a $1K Alexa-powered robot named Astro. Picture a 10-inch tablet on wheels. Control it like a metal dog, with voice commands or through an app.

• Multitask queen: Astro follows you around while you video-chat on its tablet, and plays music and shows as you do laundry.
• Host with the most: Astro transports stuff around the house in its storage compartment. Just don't ask it to take the La Croix upstairs (it can't climb).
• Better than a bulldog: Astro patrols your home while you're on vacay, and can scope out areas where movement is detected.

Connection, still loading... Amazon will offer a limited number of Astros starting later this year. So far the reviews have been underwhelming: Amazon developers reportedly claim it's "terrible" and will "throw itself down" stairs. Still, Amazon has been building its suite of connected-home products, from Echo speakers and tablets to Amazon-branded TVs, and now robots. The goal: plant its flag in the connected home.

• Today we have smart speakers like Amazon's Alexa and Google's Home Mini, along with thermostats, security cameras, and light dimmers. And let's not forget iRobot's Roomba.
• Tomorrow we could have showers that turn on at your preferred temp when your alarm rings, health sensors that order Advil when they detect a fever, and AI bots that whip up spaghetti while you drive home.
• The smart-home market is projected to grow from $84.5B this year to $139B by 2026. And 63M American homes will qualify as smart by 2022.