Amazon is building a series of robots that will drive around the home with built-in cameras, according to a report Monday by Bloomberg, which said the robots will be named “Vesta,” after the Roman goddess of hearth and home, and launch by 2019.
The roving robots will likely function similarly to smart speakers like Amazon Echo, with the ability to move from room to room, although it’s unclear exactly what tasks they’ll be able to perform, according to the report.
The project, which has been in the works for years, is being spearheaded by Amazon’s Lab126, the research arm behind Amazon Echo and Fire TV.
The robot news comes at a time when Amazon has made several strides to take on the smart home device market.
In February, Amazon purchased the smart doorbell and security company Ring, and last year it unveiled Amazon Key, a lock and cloud camera system that lets delivery workers drop off packages while the homeowners are away.
