Apple wants to get into robots. By “companion robot”, Apple seems to mean an iPad on an articulated arm, positioned on a table. Obviously, when you put it like that, it’s not the stuff of dreams. Internally dubbed the “Pixar Lamp Project”, the arm would be motorized and able to swivel and extend by around 15 cm, in order to orient the display towards the interlocutor, then refocus the image in real time. In addition, the device would embody a new version of Siri, capable of memorizing information, supporting natural exchanges, and adopting a “visual personality” (animated Finder, expressions, emotions). Not only would this robot take on the role of conversational assistant in the home, but it would also handle FaceTime calls, with Center Stage -style tracking and joystick control to refocus the scene. Launch is currently scheduled for 2027.
Pixar Lamp: Apple’s future robot?
The aim of Apple, which is lagging behind in AI (surprising for a company that’s always at the forefront of the hype), would be to offer a product capable of embodying AI in the home. Its Ipad on legs would be like a “person in the room” capable of intervening, suggesting a restaurant, then helping to plan a trip. To bring this thing to life, Apple would test a “living” Siri, with memory and expressiveness, to increase engagement as contextual understanding progresses. Thirdly, videophony is central: FaceTime, automatic cropping, and joystick control to move the field on demand. For several months or even years now, rumors have been circulating about the arrival of an iPad with a home automation profile, capable of controlling the home, serving as a super remote control for Apple TV… This project could see itself endowed with AI functionalities in the idea.
It has to be admitted, however, that the description of this Pixar Lamp Project arouses contrasting feelings in me. I went from obvious curiosity when I wrote the first words of this brief, to the lingering image of me sending straight punches to this robot when it behaves like a “person in the room”.
Finally, Apple is reportedly working in parallel on a wheeled mobile robot with a large mechanical arm for professional use, which shows a robotic roadmap broader than just the domestic companion.
