Amazon Astro, the home robot with wheels, is now in homes — and people are showing off what it can do

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Photos and videos of Amazon's home robot Astro in the real world have begun to emerge as early users of the invite-only smart home gadget start to play around with their new bot.

Only a couple of videos have been released so far, despite the device starting to ship last November. Bob Rekieta uploaded a video of his Astro going to the den with a beer after he was told to.

Screenshot from YouTube video by Bob Rekieta

Astro is told to find Celeste, and then it looks around with its circular eyes.

Matthew Nereim, a fifth- grade teacher in Florida, spoke to Bloomberg about his experiences with his Astro, which he received a couple of months ago. Nereim likes to control the robot from his phone and tease his dog.

He has Astro follow him around when he's at home, and it can also carry drinks with it. They said: "This thing follows you!"

Photo by Matthew Nereim / Bloomberg

Photo by Matthew Nereim / Bloomberg

Nereim said there are some issues, including the robot getting confused when looking for its charging base and when it is near stairs. It doesn't appear to have ever thrown itself down the stairs, as reports that emerged when the robot was first announced indicated.

The retail price of $1,4499.99 is a bit steep for what you get, Nereim thinks $700 would be more reasonable.

Astro is Amazon's first home robot and is currently available to purchase through an invitation program. Users can submit feedback to help improve the device before it goes on sale.

Patrick Santucci, a company spokesman, said that they are seeing positive feedback and learning a lot about how customers want to use a consumer robot.

Astro is a robot. You can access a live view of its video feed from the Astro app, remotely control its movements, and talk and listen through its speakers and microphones.

When it sees an unrecognized person, it can send an alert. You can access video history for up to 60 days and schedule the robot to patrol autonomously with a Ring Protect Pro plan.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Astro can learn your home layout and obey commands to go to a specific room, as shown in the video. It can deliver items to a specific person. It can play music, show you the weather, and answer questions.

Video calling is available with a 5-megapixel camera, and Amazon plans to work with third-party accessories to record data like blood pressure. The product is advertised as helpful for remotely caring for elderly loved ones when used with the new Amazon service.