Astropad’s Workbench also focuses on remote AI support, not just IT support

The quest for the Apple Mac Mini is over ascend to heaven, especially in Chinaas the small computer has become a good platform for experimenting with autonomous AI agents such as OpenClaw and others. Now, a company called Astropad is developing a remote desktop solution specifically for this purpose.

On Tuesday, Astropad CEO Matt Ronge made the announcement Astropad Workbencha remote desktop solution for Apple devices that he squares as designed for the “AI era.”

Although an AI assistant running on a Mac Mini may not need a screen, the (human) user may want to log in occasionally to check logs, review output, or restart tasks that were already running, he says.

The new remote control solution offers a variety of features, including advanced configuration; the ability to command and command with your voice; support other input methods such as keyboard, Apple Pencil, or touch; and iPad and iPhone clients – the latter puts a remote control solution in your pocket to get you to your destination.

If you’re using AI assistants on multiple Macs, Workbench provides a device selector so you can switch between them.

The idea came about because it was what the Astropad team wanted for themselves, as well as their partners.

“We’ve really embraced AI at Astropad, and we’ve been using assistants.” And sometimes, you have an assistant who is working for a long time, and you want to see,” says Ronge. “There is no good way to do this… there were remote control devices, but nothing was designed for this,” he continues. “There are also ways you can use terminals, or there are things like Telegram chat, but they are limited. I mean, sometimes you need to see what’s going on on your Mac. You have to agree to discuss or save something, or just see what’s going on. “

Workbench also supports the company’s, slightly smaller, visualization system, which it calls LIQUID, which helps developers create workflows. It maintains full fidelity, even on Retina settings, Astropad claims, and doesn’t distort lines or pixelate data. The protocol already supports some Astropad features, such as Luna’s showwhich turns your iPad into a second display, and Astropad Studiowhich allows you to use the iPad as a drawing tablet.

While managing an AI assistant on a regular basis may not require the most reliable method, Ronge says it’s a good thing to have — especially if you’re approving designs or mocking your AI assistant.

Of course, remote desktop software has been around for a while, meaning Astropad has established players like Jump Desktop, RustDesk, AnyDesk, Parsec, VNC-based solutions, and more.

But Ronge points out that this was not designed for the specific needs of using remote desktop software to monitor AI agents. With Workbench, it’s easy to check the status of logs to see the progress of your AI assistants to check for problems, restart suspended tasks, and make other changes, but what’s more, you can do this from your iPhone or iPad.

“We’ve been doing iPad stuff for years — it’s been, like, our whole company for the last 10 years. So we have a lot of experience in making great iPad apps,” Ronge says. “We know how to make great iOS apps…

The technology uses Apple’s voice so that you can talk to your phone and direct your AI assistant to take action with the click of a microphone button.

“It’s a natural way to work with agents. That’s the kind of interface that remote desktop (software) doesn’t have — it’s built into a traditional, business-like desktop.”

As a new release, there will still be bugs and necessary polishing, but the team continues to work on this product. Next, they plan to install Windows and Linux support and clean up the iPhone software.

The new software runs on macOS 15 and up and iOS 26, and is available as a free download giving 20 minutes of access per day. For unlimited access, the cost is $10 per month, or $50 per year.

Astropad, a bootstrapped and profitable small tech business, has over 100,000 customers, including those who have purchased its iPad hardware and software. With Workbench, Ronge believes the company has the potential to reach both AI enthusiasts and businesses as remote support for AI agents becomes more common.

“I think businesses are going to buy it. I mean, the benefits that I’m seeing myself – that’s going to businesses. It’s very powerful,” he said.