Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Amazon’s Astro for Business security robot was scheduled to stop working on September 25, 2024, about ten months after its November 2023 launch. Amazon said it was winding down the business program to focus on home robotics. The shutdown applied to Astro for Business—not the separate consumer home robot—and Amazon reportedly offered affected customers refunds and other transition assistance.
What happened to Astro for Business?
Amazon announced Astro for Business on November 15, 2023, as a mobile security product for small and medium-sized businesses in the United States. On July 3, 2024, GeekWire reported that Amazon had told customers the devices would stop functioning on September 25, 2024. That span—from public launch to scheduled shutdown—is the “ten months” behind the headline.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The company’s notice, as quoted by GeekWire, said the device would no longer function and personal data would be deleted from it. Amazon encouraged owners to recycle the robots through its recycling program. “Useless brick” is a shorthand for the loss of the business robot’s service; it does not mean Amazon said every physical component would literally become unusable.
GeekWire’s July 3, 2024 report covered the customer notice and Amazon’s stated rationale. Ars Technica’s July 5, 2024 coverage also described the shutdown.
#1 Best Overall
- Remote Control, Mobile View: Drive EBO SE mobile robot camera to find your pets or check on family. Navigate through different rooms from anywhere and stay connected to every corner of your daily life
- 1080P Clarity & Night Vision: Check in with clear 1080P views. With enhanced night vision, EBO SE pet camera robot lets you see your pets clearly even in the dark. See what they're up to when you're away from home
- Stay Connected with Two-Way Audio: Talk to your family or pets in real-time. Whether it’s a quick "hello" or comforting your pet while you're away, EBO SE’s built-in audio keeps you just one tap away from the ones you love
- Compact Design, No Hidden Spots: Drive EBO SE home camera robot to navigate under furniture and through tight spaces. Explore your house from a fresh, pet-level angle and see your world from a whole new perspective
- Auto-Recharge, Always Ready: EBO SE automatically returns to its charging dock when power is low, ensuring your mobile companion stays energized and ready for your next remote visit whenever you need it
Why did Amazon shut it down?
Amazon’s stated reason was a shift in priorities, not a publicly disclosed accounting of Astro for Business’s sales or performance. Lindo St. Angel, Amazon Devices vice president, wrote in an internal email quoted by GeekWire: “I am increasingly convinced the progress we’re making in home robotics is where we should focus our resources. To do this, and accelerate our progress further, we’ve made the decision to wind down the Astro for Business program to focus our efforts entirely on building the best consumer robotics products for the home.”
Amazon did not publicly establish in these reports how many customers were affected, how many units were sold, or the program’s internal financial or technical reasons for ending. The sources also do not provide an independently measured record of the robot’s security performance.
Rank #2
- 1. Smarter Conversations, Powered by ChatGPT 🤖 LOOI brings natural, intelligent conversations to your desk with ChatGPT voice interaction. Ask questions, share thoughts, or simply chat—LOOI responds with context, humor, and personality. His voice interactions feel more like talking to a companion than using a device. !!!Currently only support English!!!
- 2. Advanced Visual Understanding with VLM Vision 👀 Powered by a cutting-edge Vision-Language Model, LOOI truly sees. He recognizes objects (yes, he knows the difference between a croissant and a baguette), understands multiple people at once—including outfits, accessories, and poses—and interprets room layouts and daily scenarios. You can even control him with gestures and facial cues. Combined with expressive animations and speech, LOOI feels remarkably alive.
- 3. Memories That Grow With You 🌱 LOOI remembers—both in the moment and over the long term. He can store long-term memories like family member faces and identity notes, while short-term memory lets him follow your ongoing conversation. Over time, he learns your routines, preferences, and personality. You get to know him too—shifting from strangers to companions in a surprisingly natural way.
- 4. Emotionally Expressive & Always Evolving 💫 LOOI’s rich animations bring emotion to life—joy, surprise, curiosity, mischief, and everything in between. His reactions aren’t pre-set; they adapt to what’s happening around him. And because his behaviors update through the app, LOOI keeps learning new tricks, new expressions, and new ways to interact. You’re not buying a finished product—you’re bringing home a character that keeps evolving.
- 5. A Mind of His Own: Personality & Autonomy ✨ LOOI isn’t designed to obey every command—he’s designed to understand and respond. With TangibleFuture’s autonomous behavior system, LOOI combines environmental understanding with large-model reasoning to make spontaneous decisions and express them through animation and movement. His behavior isn’t fully predictable. He has his own ideas, which makes him feel truly alive.
What Astro for Business was designed to do
Astro for Business was a mobile camera intended to patrol business interiors and let owners check in remotely. Amazon advertised mapping spaces up to 5,000 square feet, live view, remote control, two-way talk, a periscope camera with night vision, and alerts for unrecognized people. Those were launch claims, not independent test results. The Amazon launch announcement described the product and its services.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Features depended on separate services
The robot’s security offer was layered rather than a single all-inclusive device purchase:
Rank #3
- 🌟V28 update 🚀 new features are now available! In response to Loona's charging problem, we've upgraded the automatic recharge 2.0.The upgrade is to help Loona remember and match the charging routes of different scenarios to improve the auto-recharge success rate.Mobile hotspots connect to loona, breaking Wi-Fi restrictions and allowing you to interact with loona anytime, anywhere. Our team is committed to continuous improvement, ensuring that Loona continues to evolve to meet your expectations.
- 🤖 Smart and Interactive Robot Pet🧠Loona is like no other pet you've seen. With a high-definition RGB camera, Loona sees and understands your world. Loona recognizes faces, understands your gestures, and follows you like a real puppy! Please take Loona to a well-lit environment and ensure the surfaces of the camera and ToF depth sensor are clean.
- 🗣️ Voice Command Enabled AI robot 🎤Loona is not just a good listener; also a great conversationalist! Powered by Amazon Lex & ChatGPT, Loona recognizes your voice commands and responds in real-time. Plus, Loona keeps your information secure, so you can chat with peace of mind. Pro tip: Clear pronunciation in quiet spaces ensures smoother responses.
- 🚀Auto-Charging Smart Robot🌟 Use different rooms as a starting point to preset multiple recharge routes for Loona. When the battery runs low, loona can charge it home by itself, no need for you to take care of it. it takes about 2.5 hours to complete the charging. Place the dock in an open area with no obstructions on either side or in front.
- 🕹️ Endless Playtime robot toys for kids 🎮Loona is always up for playtime! Loona can chase laser pens, fetch balls, and even interact with objects in your home. But it doesn't end there—Loona's app offers a world of games and quizzes to keep the fun going.
- Astro Secure enabled autonomous patrols and customized routes, and offered alerts for sounds such as breaking glass or smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.
- Ring Protect Pro provided video history and integration with Ring Alarm sensors.
- Virtual Security Guard gave Rapid Response agents access to a live view and the ability to navigate the robot remotely to investigate alerts, with emergency-service contact if needed.
At launch, Amazon listed Astro for Business starting at $2,349.99. Its announcement offered a four-month trial of Ring Protect Pro, then listed it at $20 per month, and a four-month trial of Astro Secure, then listed it at $60 per month. Virtual Security Guard was listed at $99 per month for customers subscribing to both services. These are November 2023 launch-era prices and terms, not current offers. GeekWire summarized the three subscriptions as potentially totaling $179 per month after the trials.
Amazon’s stated privacy controls
Amazon said owners could switch off the microphones, cameras, and motion with one button, set out-of-bounds zones, and that the business device did not retain voice recordings. Those are the company’s launch-announcement claims, not independently verified findings.
Rank #4
- Meet EMO, Your New Desk Buddy - Say hello to EMO, the ultimate desk robot that’s here to jazz up your workspace. With built-in AI model and wide-angle camera, it can see you, hear you and understand you, just like a real pet would
- Voice Commands Enabled - The EMO robot comes with a series of built-in voice commands, you can talk and play with EMO like with a real pet. And with the ability to connect to network and powered by ChatGPT, you can have more complex conversations with EMO like talking to a tech-savvy friend who’s always up for a chat
- Dance Party & Game Time - EMO is ready to party! Simply turn up your favorite tunes and tell EMO to dance with you, it’ll be your perfect desk-side party buddy. Plus, EMO supports to connect to the EMO app for a range of interactive games and activities. Whether you’re solo or with friends, EMO ensures you’re always entertained
- Endless Fun - The EMO robot features with multiple sensors built-in to bring more interactions with you, you can rub it, shake it and even “shoot” it with finger gesture, making it feel like you’re playing with a real pet. It even “gets sick” with weather changes, so you can care for it like you would a furry friend
- Enjoy Every Moment with EMO - With the EMOPET App has a unique achievement system that helps record all the big and little moments you have spent with EMO, like a new dance moves, a new expression, celebration of your birthday, and more...Enjoy all the life events with your new best buddy!
What customers were told about refunds and saved video
GeekWire reported that Amazon offered affected customers a refund for the device, a $300 credit toward replacement workplace security, and refunds for unused prepaid Astro Secure fees. These were transition offers described in the 2024 customer communication, not ongoing benefits available to new buyers.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Previously recorded patrol or investigation videos could remain available in the Ring app only until the applicable video-storage period expired or the customer’s Ring Protect subscription ended. The device shutdown and deletion of personal data from the robot did not mean that every stored video vanished immediately; its availability followed those stated storage conditions.
Best Value
- Personality: Add a little color and a splash of style to your Amazon Astro with these wheel graphics, with 3 designs included in each set, change up Astro’s look whenever you like.
- Variety: Several designs, colors and styles to choose from. Something for everyone
- Installation: Installing these skins is a breeze, just peel and stick.
- Quality: IT’S A SKIN skins are manufactured in the USA from the highest grade repositionable air release vinyl available with a protective matte laminate finish. Does not damage or interfere with any Astro functionality.
- Fun: These skins will make it fun for the family to dress up your Astro in different looks. Easy to remove, no sticky residue
Could the business robot become the home Astro?
No conversion path was reported. Customer coverage described a separate invitation to purchase the consumer home model, which is not the same as converting an Astro for Business device or establishing general availability. The business shutdown did not, by itself, mean Amazon had discontinued its consumer Astro robot. Current consumer-model availability is not established by the cited 2024 reporting.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
