What is it?
A social companion robot designed to keep the home safe, pets entertained, and family members connected at all times.
Good points?
It's easy for loved ones (including pets) to get lonely as the world returns to some sort of normality, particularly if home working is limited or no longer an option. An abrupt change of environment could lead to mental health problems. This is where the EBO Air can prove helpful.
Originally created to alleviate pet neglect, the EBO has evolved into a companion for the whole family no matter the physical distance apart.
Its 1080p HD camera combined with microphone and dual speakers, allows the moving bot to facilitate real-time, two-way communication using WiFi and the mobile app. Digital eye animations convey lifelike expressions to anthropomorphise its appearance.
The app allows remote control of the gadget to manoeuvre it around the home and interact with those at the location. It also provides a great alternative to static security cameras as you can have a roving eye around your home 24 hours a day.
READ MORE: Shauna Macdonald on her star turn as Scots heroine Flora MacDonald in Outlander
Although the device is compact – measuring 9.6 x 9.6 x 8.9 cm (3.8 x 3.8 x 3.5 in) in size – it is extremely robust and will take a fair amount of knocks without damage.
Bad points?
In this age of digital overload, not everyone will be a fan of potentially yet another way to dispense with in-person contact.
Best for ...
Those who want more than simply a voice call when it comes to checking in on friends, family and beloved pets.
READ MORE: Crime writer Stuart MacBride on ice cream, dolphins and the charms of Portsoy
Avoid if ...
You feel a constant all-seeing eye is verging on a creepy dystopian reality.
Score: 9/10.
Enabot EBO Air Smart Companion Robot, £229 (amazon.co.uk)
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel