Apple’s tabletop robot could turn our sci-fi fantasies into reality

It looks like Apple is entering the world of robotics, and that has me thinking about all the fun possibilities that could result.

What would happen if the world’s biggest tech company decided to combine its recent efforts in generative AI with a team of robotics engineers repurposed from its failed autonomous vehicle project? This, of course, involves making some big leaps, but a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reveals that Apple has over 100 people working on a new tabletop device — a robotic arm attached to an iPad display. The arm would be able to rotate 360 degrees and respond to voice commands using Siri.

Kevin Lynch, Apple’s vice president of technology, is in charge of this unnamed project. The device would allow users to attend video calls, manage home security, and control smart home devices. Apple is aiming to release it in 2026 at a price of around $1,000.

Apple is mixing robotics with AI

iRobot

There are breadcrumbs that Apple might be planning a larger foray into the arena of robotics. In addition to the stable of robotics engineers and ML and AI employees that Apple already has working on its new robotic arm project, the company is also hiring for many positions related to robotics. The involvement of VP Kevin Lynch suggests that Apple might be working on more than just an iPad swivel-stick, too. Lynch was previously responsible for Apple’s electric self-driving car program, Project Titan.

That project was recently scrapped, but it represented a real moonshot for the company. As part of the shift, Lynch began working on Apple’s new tabletop robot product. Interestingly, he now reports to Apple’s AI Chief, John Giannandrea. So, could this be the groundwork for something more — like Apple exploring ways to combine AI, like Apple Intelligence, into a robot consumers can buy?

Table-top displays haven’t been successful

Apple’s rumored tabletop robot is already being called its next big thing. iPhone sales are down 10%, and the launch of the Vision Pro went so poorly that the company cut its projected sales expectations for the next two years. The Vision Pro represented a big swing, and Apple’s tabletop device could end up being another. It could also strike out. We’ve seen large tabletop tablet devices fail in the past. Just look at the now-discontinued Facebook Portal that could “follow” you around the room. The Echo Show, as well, is not the do-it-all device Amazon markets it as, meaning it has way more potential than it currently offers. I use my Echo Show as a kitchen timer so I can keep track of when I should take my daughter’s chicken nuggets out of the oven, but that’s it. It’s certainly not the best way to make video calls (my laptop and phone are better), and Alexa’s AI capabilities have fallen way behind in this new generative AI era of ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

So, Apple’s robotic arm that can follow you? That’s not exactly groundbreaking technology. You can get an auto-tracking stand for your phone on Amazon right now for $30. And yet Apple supposedly wants to charge you $1,000 for its robot tablet arm. What is the goal here?

What we actually want from an Apple robot

So far, we know that Apple’s new product will be an iPad-style display that attaches to a robotic arm. It uses actuators to tilt up and down, as well as spin 360 degrees. The tabletop device could serve multiple purposes, like letting you control your smart home, join video conferences, and monitor home security. It will be capable of responding to commands using Siri or features inside Apple Intelligence, like “look at me,” which will tilt the screen to face you during a video call. Apple is currently testing models that run a “customized version” of iPadOS.

If Apple is mixing AI with robotic bodies, it immediately brings to mind some of our favorite movie robots. Is HAL 9000 finally upon us? I’m choosing to look on the bright side. Giving generative AI systems, even Apple Intelligence, robotic bodies could result in the personal assistants that we’ve long dreamed about (or been promised each time a new speaker has Siri or Alexa in it). The common theme among all AI devices today is that they end up sitting on a counter or bedside stand, gathering dust and serving a single purpose — whether it’s playing music in the garage, setting kitchen timers, or waking you up in the morning.

An actual functional robot would rival, if not surpass, the iPhone. We’re probably years away from that being a reality, though, with only this Siri-enabled tabletop iPad robot rumored right now. But what if this is only the beginning? What if this first device is the start of something more ambitious, like a fully-fledged robot, as we see in our favorite sci-fi movies? If you’re wondering what this hypothetical future robot would do or how it would look, luckily, there are plenty of great examples on TV. Here, then, are some famous bots Apple should definitely take inspiration from as it enters the world of robotics.

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Dum-E and U: Iron Man’s robot helpers

They’re robot arms with AI — now just add an iPad-like display

Marvel

If you’ve seen Iron Man’s solo films, you’re probably familiar with his robot helpers, Dum-E and U. Dum-E plays a crucial role in the first Iron Man film — he handed Tony Stark an arc reactor that was just out of his reach, saving his life. So, we can really thank these robots for the entire MCU.

Out of every sci-fi movie, Iron Man’s simple robot arms are probably the closest to how Apple’s new tabletop robot will actually be used, and what Apple might be thinking of doing with the technology in the future. Stark uses the two robots, which are essentially just long arms, as assistants who help in his shop building his Iron Man suits. He controls them using his voice and gestures.

Add in Apple Intelligence as the replacement for Stark’s AI assistant, and put an iPad on Dum-E and U, and they sound fairly similar. Imagine yourself as Tony Stark, getting mad at your robot helper for not positioning the screen just where you’d like. Expecting Apple’s device to save your life, however, might be a bit too optimistic.

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C-3PO: The best (but most annoying) robot companion

Hear me out… Imagine a fully-fledged robot walking around

Star Wars

C-3PO isn’t the coolest Star Wars droid. In reality, he might be the most annoying droid in all of Star Wars , but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be really useful to have in your life. After all, the Rebel Alliance kept him around despite how grating he is.

C-3PO is probably the closest thing we have to what a fully-fledged robot companion/assistant could look like in the future. He can walk, although it looks like his knees are tied together, and he’s in constant danger of falling over. His body generally just falls apart in a lot of Star Wars movies.

Despite that, he’s basically a moving repository of all human knowledge. He’s a friend and he can do a little bit of everything — speak multiple languages, retrieve any information you might need, do quick math on the spot, and best of all, he can do physical tasks for you. Just don’t ask him to run.

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Rosie: The ultimate robo-servant

Admit it, we all want a multi-use robot maid

Jetsons

I’m an early adopter of most smart home gadgets. You’ll find smart home devices in just about every room in my house. You’re also just as likely to find old discarded devices in boxes in my closet. What’s the difference between a device that I use almost every day and one that ends up collecting dust? It’s usually a single dedicated use. I have a Google Home Max in my garage that rarely does anything other than play music, and an Echo Dot in my bedroom that’s really only an alarm clock.

At $1,000, Apple’s new tabletop robot is probably too expensive to be viewed as a device you only use one way, but that’s often how we end up using the latest smart home gadgets. That’s where the combination of robotics and Apple Intelligence is so interesting. It’s the difference between having a collection of single-use electronics scattered throughout our home and having one robot doing it all for us, like Rosie does for the Jetsons. Robots can use sensors to gather data about our habits and then use AI to extrapolate and figure out what to do next for us.

Once they’ve mastered setting our kitchen timers, it’s a short jump to having our own Apple robots taking out our trash, feeding our pets, and folding our laundry — so long as they have the physical bodies, i.e., robotic arms, to accomplish those tasks.

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The T-1000: Let’s get serious about home security

Who needs a Ring Video Doorbell when you have the Terminator?

Terminator

Picture this: A burglar is snooping through your home when suddenly he hits a wall in the middle of your pitch-dark living room. Only, it’s not a wall — it’s your Apple iTerminator, and it neutralizes the threat without waking you up. Or maybe you have an important Zoom meeting, but the kids want to go to the park. Well, with your own personal Terminator watching over them, you’ll have no worries about them going out to play.

Now, this might seem like I’m advocating that we speed-run the rise of Skynet , but we’re already going down that road with AI. Let’s just hope Apple’s futuristic robot AI doesn’t turn on us like we so often see played out in the movies.

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