Enabot's EBO Is a Roly-Poly Companion Robot for the Home, Complete with Remote Control and AI
Originally developed as a gadget for entertaining pet cats, the new EBO is a considerable upgrade over its predecessor.
Family robotics specialist Enabot is back with an upgraded version of its EBO robot, having decided the technology is too good to keep for pets alone and adding functionality to make the compact companion a friend of the whole family.
Enabot launched a crowdfunding campaign for the original Ebo back in 2019, promising a compact companion robot with a particular market in mind: Pet cats. "Ebo creates a world of interaction, fun, stimulation, and connection," the company claimed of its original design, "that helps your cat to thrive and develop to achieve the best physical and mental health that they possibly can."
Now Enabot is back, and so is EBO — styled all-caps to differentiate it from its predecessor. This time, though, it's not just the family cat who gets to join in the fun: EBO is now being positioned as a multi-function companion robot for the whole family, with new features including home security modes.
"Equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, full 1080p HD camera, a pair of powerful speakers and microphone and motorized wheels, EBO can be controlled remotely with a simple touch of a screen," Enabot's Hong Zhu explains. "Using the EBO app, you can access your home and communicate with your family at all times. It’s your roam away from home."
"Featuring advanced AI technology, EBO can be programmed to keep your loved ones company, from your children to your pet, whenever you’re away. Its surveillance features make EBO a perfect home security robot that monitors every corner of your house and lets you know when suspicious activities are detected. EBO is designed for companionship, protection and durability. It’s a smart family companion for a lifetime."
The new EBO includes the same self-righting tumble-friendly design as the original, plus automatic charging, safe-stop and anti-drop, and an "auto cruise" feature for scheduled patrols. Enabot also boasts of "bionic adaptability," in which EBO will adjust its behavior and voice when exposed to new environments.
A top-end model, the EBO Air, also comes with "exclusive AI technology" including a 0.5 TOPS neural network processor for recognizing, tracking, and recording family members and pets and can even, the company claims, edit its own videos into a highlight reel.
The new EBO is funding on Kickstarter at HK$457 for the base EBO SE or HK$768 for the EBO Air at early bird pricing (around $59 and $99 respectively), with the former shipping in September and the latter in November. Thus far, the company hasn't confirmed if any of the new features will be back-ported to the original Ebo.