A $7,999 home robot joins the race to automate household chores

Weave Robotics, the startup backed by Y Combinator, opened preorders for Isaac 1 on Wednesday. The home robot costs $7,999 outright or $449 a month as a subscription. The company describes it as a robot butler.

Isaac 1 joins a field where consumer robots have struggled to find a foothold. Amazon's Astro remains in limited release. Tesla's Optimus is still in development. Weave is taking a direct approach with a product it says is ready for home use.

The subscription option lowers the entry barrier. Customers who choose the monthly plan pay no hardware cost upfront. Preorders are open now. Weave has not announced shipping dates.