Zenbo: the ASUS home robot whose first 168 units sold out in five minutes

Zenbo is a home robot made by Taiwan’s ASUS. Its first batch in Taiwan sold out in five minutes in 2017, and the line continued as Zenbo Junior for hospitals and schools.

MakerASUS (Taiwan)

UnveiledComputex, 30 May 2016, announced at $599. About 60 cm tall

LaunchPre-orders opened in Taiwan on 1 January 2017. NT$19,900 (32 GB) and NT$24,900 (128 GB)

First saleFirst batch of 168 units sold out in under five minutes; more than 1,000 orders in 4 minutes 18 seconds

FunctionsMoves on wheels and shows a face on its screen. The Taiwan model could make an emergency video call to the police

SuccessorZenbo Junior for businesses unveiled October 2018. The official site now presents Zenbo Junior II

NowConnected to an OpenAI model in 2025, speaking Mandarin, English and Taiwanese. Companion robot launched with Taipei Veterans General Hospital in December 2025

Ended byUnconfirmed. We found no end-of-sale notice for the home Zenbo, and ASUS continues the line with Zenbo Junior for businesses.

See the robotPCWorld, Zenbo unveiled (2016) ↗

Home model sales unconfirmed; Zenbo Junior for business in use

Timeline

2016.05UnveiledComputex, $599
2017.01PreordersTaiwan, 168 sold in 5 min
2018.10Zenbo JuniorBusiness model
2025OpenAI linkChats in three languages
2025.12Business useCompanion robot with hospital

A home robot announced at $599

Zenbo is a home robot that Taiwan’s ASUS unveiled at Computex on 30 May 2016. Chairman Jonney Shih said: “Our ambition is to enable robotic computing for every household.” It stands about 60 cm tall, moves on wheels and shows a face on its screen. It was announced at $599, with no ship date.

A first sale over in five minutes, then a turn to business

ASUS opened pre-orders in Taiwan on 1 January 2017, at NT$19,900 for the 32 GB model and NT$24,900 for the 128 GB model. It included an emergency video call to the police. The first batch of 168 units sold out in under five minutes, and more than 1,000 orders came in within 4 minutes 18 seconds. In October 2018 ASUS unveiled Zenbo Junior for businesses. The official site now presents Zenbo Junior II rather than the original home Zenbo. According to a 2025 report, Zenbo has been connected to an OpenAI model, speaks Mandarin, English and Taiwanese, and is used in hospitals and schools. In December that year Taipei Veterans General Hospital and ASUS presented a companion robot based on Zenbo Junior.

Cheap enough, but indoors only

A 2016 iThome review found Zenbo cheaper than a high-end smartphone and so not a high barrier to entry. It listed the lack of arms, use only indoors between 15 and 30 °C, and the need for Wi-Fi as limits. A 2025 report said that the early Zenbo’s simple interactions held back its adoption in schools. The one academic paper we confirmed, from 2022, proposed using it to support people with disabilities and older adults in the UAE, but it did not involve any participants.

From homes to hospitals and schools

Zenbo drew strong interest at its first sale, but within a few years the official site had shifted to the business model. Moving from homes to institutions is the same path Buddy took. When and how ASUS wound down home sales is not confirmed in public sources.

What would it take to turn first-day interest into everyday use?

What we haven’t confirmed

How many Zenbos were sold in total, and whether it was sold outside Taiwan
Whether the home Zenbo is still sold and supported
What was reported about 2018 layoff rumours and ASUS’s denial
Zenbo’s weight