UPDATED 11:39 EDT / MAY 30 2016

NEWS

Asus reveals cute, mobile robot named Zenbo for your smart home

Taiwanese computer manufacturer Asus, which is formally known as ASUSTeK Computer Inc, has unveiled a cute a slightly creepy little robot designed for use as a personal assistant in the modern smart home.

Priced at $599, Zenbo is a voice-controlled assistant with capabilities similar to Amazon Echo with one key difference: Zenbo can follow you around the house.

Of course, for the most part, this is the only major difference between Zenbo and other similar home assistant devices. Aside from being able to follow you around to listen to your commands and give you reminders about your upcoming appointments, Zenbo does not seem to be capable of accomplishing any sorts of physical tasks you might expect from a semi-autonomous robot.

Maybe the next model will be attached to a Roomba. One can only hope.

Asus notes that Zenbo does have a number of special features and capabilities. For example, the robot can monitor seniors and notify family members in the event of a fall. It can also act as a storyteller for children, and it has a built-in library of stories that include of variety of voices.

Zenbo’s display visor can show you exterior camera views of your house so you can see visitors at the door, and while you are away from home, it is capable of functioning as a mobile security camera so you can see what is going on in various rooms of your house without having to have multiple cameras set up.

“For decades, humans have dreamed of owning such a companion: one that is smart, dear to our hearts, and always at our disposal,” Asus Chairman Jonney Shih said onstage at the Zenvolution press event at Computex 2016. “Our ambition is to enable robotic computing for every household.”

Image courtesy of ASUSTeK Computer Inc

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