Say Hello To Zenbo: A “Friendly And Capable” Robot For The Home
Asus has introduced its first robot, Zenbo, at Computex 2016, which it states is designed to provide assistance, entertainment and companionship to families.
Zenbo’s capabilities include the ability to move independently and understand spoken commands.
Asus states that “Zenbo can assist in the home and interacting with him is easy and fun”.
A specific functionality helps senior family members, and, as a home care assistant, Zenbo provides spoken reminders of information, such as doctor’s appointments, medication and exercise schedules, while also monitoring the home for emergency situations – such as falls – immediately responding by notifying specified family members on their smartphones.
Upon receiving an emergency notification, family members can remotely control Zenbo, using a built-in camera to check on their loved one.
“Zenbo is also a friendly companion who helps to bridge the digital divide between generations by making it easy to accomplish a variety of online tasks – including making video calls, using social media, shopping, and streaming movies and TV shows – using voice commands and guided help,” Asus states.
Meanwhile, Zenbo can be used as “a fun and educational playmate for kids, who entertains them with interactive stories and learning games”, with a built-in stereo sound system playing songs, with Zenbo even dancing to the music.
“Zenbo includes a built-in library of stories that he tells in a variety of entertaining voices, while displaying accompanying images on his screen and controlling the room lighting to add a new level of interactivity and fun to story time,” Asus states.
“Zenbo also comes with educational games and an interactive encyclopaedia that make learning fun.”
Around the home, Zenbo can connect to and control smart home and traditional devices, including lights, TVs and air conditioners. In the kitchen, Zenbo can read recipes out loud and function as a voice-controlled timer.
Zenbo can take photos with a built-in camera, and when homeowners are away can act as a remote-controlled home security camera, accessible from anywhere via a smartphone app.