Amazon is developing a smart home projector, according to recent rumors. A report published by Reuters claims five sources “familiar with the matter” revealed that the device was designed to make any surface in your home a screen.
Potential uses for the gadget include casting a recipe onto the wall near your stove or a Zoom video call that could track your movements and adjust accordingly. To aid the project, Amazon acquired Lightform, a start-up specialising in projection mapping design tools. However, the company’s original products started at US$700, and apparently, Amazon is focused on developing cheaper hardware, hence the delayed release.
This would not be the first projector from the brand; the Amazon Glow was an interactive video-calling device for kids. The gadget was an upright touchscreen with a built-in projector and two cameras, one to capture the user and a second pointed at the surface. You could use the device to video chat with friends or family, read and play games together. However, the Glow sold poorly and was therefore discontinued in 2022. The Reuters report also suggests that Amazon is working on other smart home devices with built-in Alexa, including a carbon monoxide detector and a home energy consumption monitor. When Amazon would release any of these smart home projects, including the projector, remains to be seen.