Amazon Home Robot Repurposed for Business Security

Amazon is rebranding its home robot Astro for the corporate world, pitching the roving robot as a security solution for small- and medium-sized businesses.

The new service, Astro for Business, includes new features for the small-scale robot, including an alert system for when the robot detects something amiss and the ability to autonomously create multiple security monitoring routes.

A suite of security products can also be integrated with Astro, for an additional fee. 

These include Ring Protect Pro, which links Astro to Ring sensors and motion detectors and a virtual security guard service that allows Astro to send an alert to security teams if it hears breaking glass, a smoke detector going off or sees an unknown person on the premises. 

Astro can map up to 5,000 square feet, giving companies access to a live view and two-way talk capabilities to monitor the robot’s patrolling in real time, according to Amazon.

“From checking in after hours to having Astro patrol and send alerts if something is amiss,” the company said, “Astro for Business gives business owners eyes in more places.”

“[T]raditional security solutions can be too static or expensive for what businesses need. We think Astro for Business can help with that,” said Anthony Robson, head of product for Amazon Astro. “Astro’s intelligent motion helped provide visibility on blind spots and areas that existing stationary cameras couldn’t see.”

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Robson also highlighted research from the National Retail Federation, which found businesses in the retail industry have faced losses of nearly $100 billion in 2022. Astro’s expanded security capabilities, he said, are hopefully coming in to meet a market need for more consistent surveillance and business protection.

Amazon said the new service has already been tested across industries including retail, manufacturing, health and wellness, food and beverage and construction, saying companies have “quickly adopted it as a reliable security service.”

Initially, Astro for Business is only launching in the U.S., and comes at a price point of $2,349.99.

Amazon first launched Astro in 2021 as a home security and companion solution, and last September announced it was testing the service in a business context.