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Asus unveils robotic home companion "Zenbo"

Posted at 7:58 AM, May 31, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-31 08:01:54-04

One company is on a mission to put robotic companions into every home.

The "Zenbo" looks a bit like E.T. in robot form. The goal of the robot is to help families with day-to day tasks and keep an eye on things.

Asus, a computer hardware company based in Taiwan, revealed the little robot at a news conference on Monday.

With its wide-eyes and Siri-like voice, Zenbo rolls around the house interacting with family members as needed.

The company says the robot has a number of different capabilities. Besides being able to move independently and understand spoken commands, the bot can read books to children and help call out recipes step-by-step in the kitchen.

Asus notes the bot can also be used as an aid to the elderly, reminding them to take medication and alerting other family members if there's been an emergency.

No word yet on when people will be able to purchase the Zenbo, but the company's chairman announced at the news conference that the price tag would be about $600.