Amazon adds a cute humanoid to its robot lineup

Amazon has acquired New York City-based Fauna Robotics just a couple of months after it unveiled Sprout, a cute humanoid robot.

Specific details of the buyout have yet to be shared, but Fauna CEO Rob Cochran said in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday that he was “incredibly excited” about the development.

“When we launched in NYC back in February 2024, we set out with a clear mission: to ‘build capable, safe, and fun robots for everyone,’” Cochran wrote in the post. “Looking back at how far we’ve come in just two years, I am immensely proud of everything our team has accomplished.”

But what does the buyout mean for Sprout, its friendly humanoid robot designed to operate safely in shared human spaces?

Cochran reassured owners that it’s still selling the Sprout Creator Edition robots to new customers and is providing continued support to all of its existing ones.

“Essentially, no change to the work we’re doing together,” the CEO said, adding that the firm will continue to “operate as Fauna Robotics, an Amazon company.”

Amazon has invested billions of dollars in robotics technology over the years — mainly for warehouse automation and logistics — and with Fauna now under its umbrella, it plans to leverage its engineers’ expertise to further improve its technology.

In a widely reported statement, the e-commerce giant said: “Together with Amazon’s robotics expertise and decades of experience earning customer trust in the home through our retail and devices businesses, we’re looking forward to inventing new ways to make our customers’ lives better and easier.”

Fauna Robotics was founded two years ago and launched Sprout, its debut product, in January.

Costing $50,000, the 3.5-foot-tall humanoid robot is targeted for a range of sectors, including retail and hospitality, where it can meet and greet, showcase products, and guide people around. With custom voices, gestures, and movements, Sprout can also function as “a friendly concierge for the home.” In fact, it reminds us a bit of SoftBank’s Pepper robot, which the company discontinued in 2021 after a lukewarm reception.

Sprout, which comes bundled with a developer platform for creating custom applications, is also pitched at researchers keen on advancing AI development in areas of locomotion, manipulation, and interactive behaviors, and can also offer learning opportunities for students interested in technology.