Amazon Spent $33.4 Billion on Robotics in H1 2026 to Build New Home Robot
The company is developing a successor to the $1,450 Astro using technology from its Fauna Robotics acquisition.
By Gabriela Ivanov ·
Amazon is developing a new home robot to replace the Astro, a device that shipped to only a few thousand customers since its 2021 launch. The company has assembled a new team to create a product capable of operating autonomously in dynamic home environments. This effort follows the acquisition of Fauna Robotics in March, a New York based firm that built a 3.5 foot tall humanoid called Sprout.
The Astro, originally priced at $1,450, functioned as an Alexa equipped tablet on wheels. It could navigate homes and monitor security, but it never moved beyond an invite only program. Amazon also released a business version in 2023, but discontinued it less than a year later. Some owners now describe the device as a trip hazard or a party trick rather than a functional household member.
Emily Lugo Velez, a North Carolina resident who has owned an Astro since 2023, said she uses the robot to check on pets and appliances when away. She noted that the device has become largely static. Lugo Velez said, I feel like we are just stuck with it, and we will let it run around the house until it eventually dies, then send it to the trash heap.
Amazon's new Personal Robotics Group includes former staff from Lab126, the unit behind the Kindle and Echo devices. The group also includes an MIT roboticist brought in earlier this year. A recent job posting described a goal to create robots that are not just functional, but delightful. Another listing sought a user experience designer to define what it feels like to live with a Fauna robot.
Industry analysts project a surge in demand for these devices. Barclays forecast that the global humanoid market could reach $40 billion by 2035. Venture capital firms invested $33.4 billion in robotics and physical AI companies in the first half of 2026, a figure that exceeds the $28.7 billion invested in the entirety of 2025.
Brad Glasser, an Amazon spokesperson, stated that the company remains committed to unlocking the personal robotics category. He noted that a gap exists between controlled lab environments and living rooms, but Amazon is working to close it. Amazon has previously deployed over one million robots in its fulfillment centers, a foundation it aims to apply to the consumer market.
Joe Martin, an Astro owner near Tucson, Arizona, said he would welcome a more capable robot in his home. Martin said, Astro was $1,000 and it was pretty limited, but if it could bring a drink to me or dust furniture, I would be intrigued by that.
