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Google may have a future selling robots to consumers and devices for your smart home, with yet another acquisition paving the way for the internet giant's new vision.
US media are reporting the search engine giant is in the process of buying artificial intelligence company DeepMind Technologies for $US400 million.
The London-based DeepMind describes itself as a developer of "cutting-edge artificial intelligence" that can learn for itself.
"We combine the best techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful general-purpose learning algorithms," the company's website said.
Google confirmed the deal after a report was published on tech website Re/code, but the company declined to name a dollar figure.
DeepMind has already developed software for e-commerce, simulations and video games.
Its future uses could vary between developing smarter AI to learn from Google users so that ads and shopping can be targeted, or it could have applications in future products where artificial learning is also important.
Since December, Google has been on a buying frenzy, snapping up robotics company Boston Dynamics - makers of Wild Cat and the humanoid Atlas robots, and home smart appliances maker Nest Labs.
It is clear Google sees a future in expanding from its web services and Android mobile platform to devices and services for the home.
Nest has already developed and released two products before Google's $US3.2 billion purchase; a smart thermostat that learns from your habits and sets room temperatures automatically and a wireless carbon monoxide alarm that aims to reinvent smoke detectors.
Google has appointed former Android operating system head Andy Rubin, a former engineer, to lead its robotics development.
Last month, in announcing the move, Google co-founder Larry Page wrote he was excited to see what would come from Mr Rubin's project.
"His last big bet, Android, started off as a crazy idea that ended up putting a supercomputer in hundreds of millions of pockets," Mr Page wrote.
"It is still very early days for this, but I can't wait to see the progress."
Google is no stranger to building robotic systems; the company has been developing driverless cars which have already been tested on US roads.
Topics: computers-and-technology, science-and-technology, internet-technology, business-economics-and-finance, company-news, personal-computers, consumer-electronics, united-states, england, united-kingdom
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