AV Quick Takes: The Labrador Retriever Robot ‘Butler’ and Apple HomePod 2

Labrador
Retriever Robot

Just
over a year ago at CES 2022, the robotics and automation company Labrador Systems announced plans for an autonomous robot that could perform
assisted-living functions for individuals with disabilities, chronic pain,
injuries, or other health issues that affect their daily activities. At CES
2023, the final design was unveiled. (I have limited mobility and suffer from
chronic back pain due to a spinal condition, so this is of particular interest
to me, even if it’s slightly outside my normal AV purview). Dubbed the Labrador Retriever, the robot is designed to
“serve as an extra pair of hands, to help move large loads, as well as keep
smaller items within reach.” It’s basically a self-driving cart with adjustable
height, able to lift and carry up to 25 pounds around the home using “3D vision” and an array of sensors to map and
navigate the space. The robot can be pre-programmed to collect or deliver items
such as food and medication at specific times, and can also be controlled using
an app or voice commands to lift laundry, carry groceries, and more. Backed by
Amazon, the Labrador system works with Amazon’s smart home devices, and the
robot can be summoned via Alexa. At CES, the Labrador Retriever was demonstrated with an
Amazon Echo Show 10 installed on top, allowing for easy Alexa-based
interaction. The Robot retrieved beverages from a custom Labrador refrigerator
and carried them to users.

The
proof-of-concept demo with the Echo Show 10 is a preview of what we will be
testing in our next rounds of pilots with care providers. Capabilities like
this can make a dramatic difference in the quality of people’s lives and their
ability to live independently while staying connected with others, and we’re
grateful to Amazon’s team for their support on this project.

—
Mike Dooley, Labrador Systems CEO

The
Alexa Fund originally invested in Labrador due to our belief in the utility of
robotics and the company’s vision to utilize this technology to benefit
customers with mobility challenges or who lack access to home assistance. This
test demonstration with Retriever and our Echo Show 10 not only makes
technology physically within reach via voice but also showcases the power of
ambient intelligence as the system can operate and navigate independently in
the background.

—
Paul Bernard, Alexa Fund director

Apple
HomePod2

Apple
has announced the 2nd-generation of its full-sized HomePod smart speaker. The HomePod 2 ($299
each) looks awfully similar to the original 2018 HomePod, which was
discontinued in March of 2021 after less-than-stellar sales. Priced at $50 less
than the original, the new HomePod is cheap by high-end audio standards, and is
less expensive than some offerings from Sonos and Bluesound. But it still costs
50% more than one of its biggest rivals in the mainstream smart-speaker space,
the $200 Amazon Echo Studio. For non-audiophiles, spending $300
on a speaker (or $600 on a pair) might seem extravagant. Sticker-shock was
probably the downfall of the original HomePod, which generally garnered
favorable reviews for its sound quality, but didn’t lure customers away from
much cheaper options from Amazon and Google. The HomePod 2, which begins
shipping in early February 2023, has a few advantages over its predecessor,
however. It supports the Matter standard of smart home devices, so it should
play nicely with non-Apple smart tech. And it also boasts improved audio
quality, thanks to a new driver array — a single 4-inch woofer paired with five
tweeters, along with five microphones — 
and the powerful A7 chipset from the Apple Watch Series 7. According to
Apple, the new hardware is better able to scan its acoustic environment and optimize
the sound using beam-forming and other wizardry. This claimed improvement in
audio comes despite the fact that the original HomePod had two more microphones
and two more tweeters than the HomePod 2. Of course, a pair of HomePods will be
required for true stereo imaging and more effective rendering of Spatial Audio,
which is reportedly a strength of the HomePod 2. Unfortunately, you can’t pair
a HomePod 2 with an original HomePod. When you aren’t home, the built-in
microphones can be set to detect certain noises, such as a smoke alarm or the
sound of breaking glass, and the speaker can send notifications to your iPhone
or Apple Watch. Mark Henninger over at Sound and Vision had a chance to hear the new HomePod 2 and came away not
only impressed, but moved by the experience.