800 people are working on a secret Amazon robot project

Business Insider has a new report which details ecommerce giant Amazon working, in secret, on a home robot called “Vesta.” The outlet spoke to six Amazon employees who are part of the project and revealed some interesting information.

Under anonymity, the six people employed by Amazon revealed that a workforce of 800 is working on project Vesta. They didn’t reveal whether 800 people have been working on this project from its start or if the number of people working increased over time. It even remains unclear at what point project Vesta started. However, Amazon went on a hiring spree in 2018 to complete the team to carry the project’s workload. 

Next, BI revealed that the project is in its late stages. However, there is no consensus about its final design, core nature, or its main features. They also confirmed that the mobile robot would come equipped with cameras and microphones and that its size is that of “two small cats.”

Supposedly, people will be able to control it via voice, similar to how people communicate and control Alexa. They also mentioned a retractable pole carrying a camera that can be moved up and down, along with the fact that the robot will be able to carry small projects. As part of the robot’s abilities will be monitoring humidity, air quality, and temperature. 

Gregg Zehr was pointed to as the person in Amazon responsible for the development of Vesta. He is the head of Lab126, Amazon’s hardware research and development division located in California. Gregg and his team were responsible for the development of the Amazon Echo. 

An Amazon spokesperson has noted that “they do not comment on speculations or rumors.”

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