It’s not just internet access that Meta has its eye on. The company’s Reality Labs division, the same folks responsible for the Quest lineup of VR headsets, is setting up a team to work on household robots.
It might sound a little like Elon Musk’s Optimus but it’s hardly an isolated technological ambition. The robots are intended to help around the house, performing tasks like reducing the size of that pile of unfolded washing sitting on your couch.
Reworking Reality Labs
The information comes via Bloomberg, which reports that the former CEO of Cruise, Marc Whitten, will head the new development team. Meta is looking to occupy a very specific space in the market, essentially becoming the Android of humanoid robot development. It’s also trying to perform the same function for virtual reality headset software — time will tell whether the social media giant is able to accomplish either goal.
Meta hopes to produce the AI, software, and sensors other companies use to create their own humanoid assistants. Its working example will start off by folding washing, carrying drinks, and loading the dishwasher. Simple stuff, sure, but it’s stuff that we don’t like doing.
It’s unlikely that the robot will be an immediate hit, should it ever end up in a retail situation. Its planned utility probably won’t justify the price, unless something remarkable happens and they’re somehow… cheap. But Meta and Reality Labs believe the tech is coming and it hopes to not have to deal with the retail question.
Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth reportedly said in a company memo, “The core technologies we’ve already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics. We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs.”
