Pets in China now have their own robot friends, which can entertain and even dispense treats
- With a Wi-fi connection, the Ebo robot is fist-sized and shaped like a ball
- The small robot has wheels and can roll around the floor on its own
Many people buy dogs for companionship. But now pets can have their own playmates when their owners are away – companion robots that can help to monitor, feed, and entertain them.
Sophia Qiao, a 30-year-old who lives in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, spent 2,000 yuan (US$289) to buy her cat Tuantuan and then spent almost three-quarters of that amount again on a robot partner for it.
The robot companion is called Ebo and was developed by Shenzhen-based start-up Enabot. Qiao said it has been a great help, especially when she was on a one-week trip with her mother recently.
“I was able to talk and interact with my cat in real-time [while I was travelling],” Qiao said. “My cat loves the laser teasing function … and I was able to play with Tuantuan [via Ebo] every one or two hours.”
Ebo is fist-sized and shaped like a ball. With a Wi-fi connection, it allows cat owners to monitor and play with their cats remotely via a mobile app and even record videos. Apart from a high-definition camera and speaker, Ebo also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to recognise a cat’s face and can follow them, even detecting the cat’s mood and adapting its behaviour accordingly.