At this week's Computex in Taipei, Asus unveiled Zenbo, a talking robot that can be a personal helper, priced at US$599, according to PCWorld.

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The robot made its debut at a press conference in Taipei, where it was given voice commands asked questions by Asus Chairman Jonney Shih.

Asus has not revealed that technical details of the Zenbo. Intel may have participated in the development of the robot.

The specifications of Zenbo states that it uses wheels for movement, a simple voice command recognition. Zenbo is about two feet in height and features a display that shows an animated face. It can also be used for video calls and movie streaming. An application for smartphone devices will be added along with a bracelet which the robot can use to alert users.

Zenbo will be beneficial for elderly people who need assistance as it "helps to bridge the digital divide between generations," Asus stated. The robot can be used for both entertainment, communications, and social networking. It can also take photos, record video, read stories and play interactive games with  kids.

The robot is pretty much capable of doing almost everything. It can also turn off electronic devices and dim the lights according to Shih. There are speculations that the robot would have the same capabilities as Amazon's Echo and Apple'sSiri since Shih asked the robot a general question but it failed to answer stating "I do not know the answer, but I will continue to work on my knowledge."

The release date for Zenbo has not been disclosed. Asus is currently seeking developers to work on software and other applications for the robot.

TagsAsus, zenbo, computex taipei, Robotics, high-technology