Apple is working on many projects, most of which will never see the light of day. But developments and software designed for one project can be reused elsewhere. Mixed reality technologies developed for Titan, the electric and autonomous car ultimately canceled last year, are used in the Vision Pro, for example.
A hidden arm in plain sight
One of the projects announced by rumor in recent months is a robotic arm equipped with a tablet at the end. Its motors and AI would allow it to follow the user's movements. The idea has clearly gained ground internally. Last month, Apple’s machine learning research blog showcased a video of an articulated lamp called ELEGNT that looks a lot like this tablet mounted on an arm… or Luxo, Pixar’s mascot.
This allows us to y see the lamp react to the user’s movements and lend a helping hand by lighting a specific spot on the table or projecting a video on the wall. The lamp responds to hand gestures as well as voice. It can remind you to drink water regularly by pushing a glass towards the user. The robot has a personality: it pulls a “sad” face when the user tells it that it was not invited to an outdoor getaway. And it can “dance” to the music!
The researchers behind the invention say the lamp’s “expressive” movements “significantly improve user engagement” and perception of the robot’s qualities. Just like a patent, a study doesn’t mean Apple is about to launch something similar. However, it inevitably evokes the rumor and gives a little idea of what this future robot could accomplish.
According to Mark Gurman, who is at the origin of the indiscretion, the future iPad arm would be launched in 2026 or 2027. It would join other products for the home, such as this screen acting as a home automation hub, a surveillance camera or even a connected doorbell with Face ID.
Source: MacRumors
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