Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

ASUS Unveils $599 Home Robot 'Zenbo' (computerworld.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the personal-assistant dept.

An anonymous reader writes: In addition to the razor thin ZenBook 3, Asus unveiled a cute talking robot for the home at this week's Computex trade show in Taipei. The robot, called Zenbo, is priced at $599 and is pitched as a personal assistant that can help look after elderly relatives or read stories to the kids. It's about two feet tall and rolls around on wheels, with a display that can show animated faces or be used for making video calls and streaming movies. When asked, "Hey Zenbo, is it true you can take pictures?" by ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih, the robot replied with, "Yes, I can take photographs." Zenbo took a photo of him on stage with the audience in the background when Shih told it to. The robot doesn't have an official release date yet, but developers can sign up for a software kit to build applications for it now.

10 of 39 comments (clear)

  1. A limited repertoire . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Of faces, gestures, and phrases will ensure that after hearing and seeing them about two hundred times the users will want to chuck the thing through the nearest window. However, any infirm users will simply have to endure the torture.

  2. 599??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It better give good blow jobs at that price.

  3. A $600 Claptrap by zenlessyank · · Score: 2

    Nifty!

  4. Second ASUS announcement today. by SeaFox · · Score: 2

    "Anonymous" submission indeed!

    1. Re:Second ASUS announcement today. by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2

      I had an ASUS Android tablet. It got security updates for about 18 months and then was left with known, remotely exploitable, security updates. I won't buy anything else from them that doesn't either have third-party OS support or a legally enforceable guarantee that they'll provide updates for the expected lifetime of the device.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  5. Smoke detector by MichaelSmith · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Given the number of old people who eventually die by falling asleep while smoking, an intelligent smoke detector might be a good idea.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  6. How about just building a feasible cleaning bot? by Qbertino · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I whish they'd focus on building a really good cleaning bot instead of toys.
    Would be a great help for the elderly too.
    Roomba could use some hard competition.

    My 2 cents.

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
  7. Re:hope by MobyDisk · · Score: 2

    Stories about new robotic development platforms is in the top 10 list of reasons I read Slashdot. Not every commercial product mentioned on Slashdot is a "Slashvertisement."

  8. Re:How about just building a feasible cleaning bot by MobyDisk · · Score: 2

    Roomba could use some hard competition.

    There's a dozen hard competitors to Roomba.
    http://thesweethome.com/review...
    http://heavy.com/tech/2015/02/...

  9. Re:But but by MobyDisk · · Score: 2

    I suspect they target the elderly because the elderly tend to live in single floor buildings.