Leaks have indicated Apple has an internal robotics team working on building new home products. But now, via a recently published video, Apple has actually offered its own glimpse into what our robot future could look like.
Apple’s team prototypes robot lamp with ‘elegance’
The idea of robots, for me at least, always conjures sci-fi pictures of anthropomorphic beings walking around, talking, and acting very cold and unfeeling.
But Apple’s recently published research paper and video demonstrate how the future of robotics could be much more fun and whimsical than that.
In its ELEGNT paper, Apple researchers explain how they built a non-anthropomorphic robot lamp prototype with an expressive design model rather than a functional one.
They write:
Nonverbal behaviors such as posture, gestures, and gaze are essential for conveying internal states, both consciously and unconsciously, in human interaction. For robots to interact more naturally with humans, robot movement design should likewise integrate expressive qualities—such as intention, attention, and emotions—alongside traditional functional considerations like task fulfillment, spatial constraints, and time efficiency.
The robot in question, an adorable lamp that resembles Pixar’s iconic Luxo, is shown performing a variety of tasks with human-like expressions, rather than being strictly functional.
For example, the robot is shown exhibiting human-like gestures and responses as it interacts with the Apple researcher.
‘Elegant’ is the word Apple’s team used to describe how they wanted the robot to operate, and I think they pulled it off.
The full video is available here and shows six primary examples.
Preview of Apple robot products to come
Last April, Mark Gurman wrote for Bloomberg:
Engineers at Apple have been exploring a mobile robot that can follow users around their homes, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the skunk-works project is private. The iPhone maker also has developed an advanced table-top home device that uses robotics to move a display around, they said.
At the time, many saw the idea of Apple building robots as a bit bizarre. But this new video shows what Apple could have in store.
Building personality and whimsy into common, everyday objects like lamps is a fun way to blend humanity with emerging tech.
Apple’s new push into smart home products surely isn’t a coincidence.
What do you think of Apple’s robot lamp video? Let us know in the comments.
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