I tested 'crazy' AI Enabot pet and family companion robot that never stops entertaining

As the tiny Enabot robot rolls around my home, occasionally speaking to me, I feel like this is a taste of the future. Heralding from China as a “smart guardian”, it seems like a crazy, far-fetched tech gadget, like something out of Blade Runner or a Star Wars movie. In fact some have compared it’s look to BB-8 from the sci-fi franchise.

But this is now and when I pick it up, the round glowing ball with eyes fixed on me squeals ‘it feels like I’m flying’. With a surveillance camera fitted to its head and skills to map your home so it can roam around freely(without stairs), this artificial intelligence robot may be too intrusive for some.

I’m testing out the more advance Enabot EBO X, which normally costs £999 but is currently reduced to £849 on Enabot’s website.

There’s also smaller, earlier, cheaper versions aimed at being a pet companion with more basic abilities but it still has night vision, video recording and two way calls like the Enabot EBO ROLA Mini 2K for £149 on Amazon here.

Enabot primarily created home-friendly robots to help look after pets when owners are away. They can log in to an app to see what’s going on and even talk to them through the robot from miles away to give them some interaction when left on their own.

Some of the robots even have the ability to give out treats at certain programmed times. The Enabot EBO ROLA PetPal 2.5K - £209 here on Amazon - can even start to video record if it hears noises like a dog’s prolonged barking.

That has advanced further with this family companion model Enabot EBO X that aims to interact with people and not just animals. With older generations of the family in mind, the robot can be programmed to remind them when it’s time to take a tablet at the same time every day or talk to someone to make them feel less isolated. Its video surveillance is also said to be able to give an alert in case of a fall.

Then there is the same video and phone calling ability that allows a relative to log in and watch a family member or talk to them while at work. It’s so clever that it docks itself in for a recharge when needed and seems to have a mind of its own.

Maybe I was a little weirded out by it following me around, but I passed the Enabot EBO X on to my friend for further testing as she has a dog, pre-teen and husband out at work who calls home.

Their pet Chewy, the Lhasa Apso, was a little guarded at first as the robot followed her around the house. As time went on, Chewy got used to the robot, even with it able to frequently change colour - at the touch of a button on the app.

The robot very quickly became part of the family and never stopped entertaining, providing endless fun. Each revelation on what it could do provided more family laughter and discussion. when the dad was out the house, he was able to see the rest of the family at home on his app and even talk to them through the robot as though he was in the room with them.

At its most basic, the Enabot EBO X is a very fun toy with incredible speakers and at its best, a security and surveillance system for the family and pets rather than the house as a whole. Yet I feel unsure as to whether this X version is worth the high price of £849 in the sale and pushing on £1000 normally.

That’s quite a jump up from the rest of the EBO range - starting from the EBO ROLA Mini 2K for £149 here. They come in as more of a bargain, although limited in what they can do in comparison.