It seems like the next big battle among the world's tech giants would be in the AI-powered voice-activated digital assistant arena, with the Amazon Echo, the Google Home and Apple's own voice assistant in development. As revealed on Monday, however, a fourth player is set to enter the fray, with Asus unveiling its humble Zenbo, a voice assistant on wheels.

Revealed in Taipei during the Computex trade show, Zenbo quickly endeared the attendees of the event due to its unassuming, cute appearance. Indeed, when the mobile voice assistant is just moving around, its face would feature a set of eyes and a mouth, akin to chibi characters in popular anime shows.

Just like other, more serious voice assistants like the Echo, though, Zenbo is also able to stream movies, play music and initiate video calls. The little robot is also able to take photos, and respond to voice commands and inquiries in real time.

Indeed, Zenbo's feature set is not that unique at all. In fact, the little robot looks a lot like a toy when compared to the elegant black appearance of the Amazon Echo or the customizable, lamp-like look of the Google Home. Despite this, however, Asus' voice assistant on wheels might very well be perfect for a very specific, but very large demographic.

One thing that Zenbo is specifically designed for is user-friendliness. During Asus' pitch, the two-foot-tall robot was promoted as the perfect tech companion for the elderly, who usually encounter problems in manipulating more advanced technologies. Thus, Zenbo would be perfect in Japan, a country currently struggling with an aging population.

"Zenbo helps to bridge the digital divide between generations by allowing seniors to make video calls and use social networking with simple voice commands," Asus stated in the device's pitch.

While Zenbo would be perfect for getting the elderly to connect with their relatives through social media, the little robot also comes with a number of very notable health features. According to Asus, Zenbo is designed to connect to a smart bracelet that automatically alerts relatives via smartphone app if ever their elderly relative falls down.

What's even better is the fact that Zenbo's full range of features has not been revealed yet. Indeed, the friendly-looking robot seems to currently be in its Alpha states. Asus has confirmed this, stating that it is already inviting developers to create dedicated apps for the little robot assistant.

Zenbo is priced at a reasonable $599. Asus has not unveiled the device's release date as of writing. 

Tags: ASUS zenbo zenbo voice assistant zenbo AI voice assistant asus zenbo