Meet Astro, Amazon's multi-purpose home robot designed to make your life easier and more convenient. Despite having limited onboard computational capabilities, Astro is equipped with advanced algorithms and software that allow it to navigate through its environment gracefully. If you're looking to hire a robot worker for your home, Astro is an excellent choice.

Astro's sensor field of view and onboard computational capabilities may not be as powerful as other autonomous robots, but Amazon has counteracted this limitation with innovative solutions. The company has developed algorithms and software that enable Astro to move more gracefully, making it a more affordable option for consumers without compromising on quality.

One of the key aspects of Astro's navigational abilities is predictive planning. Due to its limited computational capabilities, Astro struggles with large sensing-to-actuation latency. To overcome this, Astro makes predictions about the movements of objects around it, such as people. By predicting where those objects will be and what its surroundings will look like at the end of its current planning cycle, Astro can account for latencies in sensing and mapping while it's moving.

Astro's plans are based on its latest sensor data and its predictions about its surroundings. The robot can make these predictions because of its ability to predict and handle uncertainties and risks of collisions. Astro's motivation to move towards its goal is always weighed dynamically with its perceived level of uncertainty, allowing it to focus on getting to its goal when the risk is low and focusing on evasion when the risk is high.

The robot also uses trajectory optimization software to operate in its environment. Astro considers multiple candidate trajectories and picks the best one in each planning cycle. The robot plans 10 times a second and evaluates a few hundred trajectory candidates in each instance, considering safety, smoothness of motion, and progress toward its end goal.

Astro doesn't just plan where its two wheels and body will go; it also plans movements for its screen. The robot's screen is used to communicate motion and intent and for active perception. Astro plans to orient its screen towards the person it's following or in the direction it plans to go, so humans around it know its plans.

Released in September 2021, Astro can be used for a variety of tasks, including home monitoring, videoconferencing with family and friends, entertaining children, and more. The voice-controllable robot can recognize faces, deliver items to specific people, and use third-party accessories to record blood pressure. It can also detect the sound of a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector, or breaking glass. If you have a Ring account, Astro can send you notifications if it notices something unusual.

Hire a robot worker like Astro and experience the convenience of having a multi-purpose home robot that can navigate through its environment with ease. With Astro, you'll have a reliable and efficient robot worker to help you with various tasks around your home.