Enabot’s EBO Air is a smart home companion robot
BB-8, is that you?
Smart home products are all the rage these days, and we’re starting to see robots make their way into people’s homes more and more. We’re not talking about Terminators here, far from it. Smart home companion robots are rolling through the front door promising to make your life easier. One such robot is Enabot‘s new EBO Air.
Taking on a ball-like appearance, EBO Air is designed to provide comfort, protection, and security for everyone in the family. And Enabot really does mean everybody in the family, including pets. EBO Air can be the smartest toy your furry friend has, hence the appearance of the tennis ball’s future son.
EBO Air uses advanced Time of Flight technology to detect all sorts of obstacles ahead and avoid smashing your home to pieces. When needed, the robot can also come to an immediate stop, promising to avoid accidents and falls. EBO Air’s tumbler design means it’ll be able to get back up easily should it fall, just like BB-8. The powerful motorized wheels help to ensure a smooth ride throughout your home, even on rugs and carpets.
That’s great, but what does EBO Air actually do?
EBO Air has a couple of features to try and protect your home. The smart robot has both facial recognition and AI tracking capabilities to alert you to suspicious activities as it roams the halls. The 1080p HD camera sends footage to the app and SD card, so you can keep an eye on your home. EBO Air isn’t scared of the dark, either, with built-in infrared night vision.
The camera can also be put to use on video calls. With accompanying speakers and microphone, EBO Air can tackle two-way communication over Wi-Fi. Without a screen, however, only the caller will be able to see the video feed from the app; that part doesn’t work both ways.
As we mentioned, EBO Air will play nicely with your pets. The same on-board AI tech can help identify your pets and give them a nudge throughout the day. As well as being able to speak to them through the call feature, the robot has some interactive play modes. We’re not quite sure what this looks like, but we imagine there’ll be a chase involved! For the more creative parents out there, this could work well to entertain the little ones as well.
EBO Air is a great smart home robot to introduce yourself to the technology. If you want to pick up one of the techno-friends, they’re available from both Enabot and Amazon for £229 or $229.
Stuff says: Enabot takes an interesting concept of the smart home companion robot, and tries to make it more playful. How much you’ll end up using the EBO Air remains to be seen, but it’s a nice idea. It does seem like more of a toy than a smart home assistant, but could prove useful in the event of the break-in. We might not be quite at the point where these robots become commonplace, but the EBO Air is a good place to start. We just want to know what happens if the dog buries it in the garden!
Connor Jewiss
