Beijing robot causes commotion, goes viral

There is no such thing as bad publicity. The old adage is generally associated with the West, but a Beijing-based robotics manufacturer might be learning this lesson after a mishap at a Shenzhen electronics fair. Fortunately for Beijing Evolver Robotics Technology, the accident involving its interactive robot Fabo was the result of user error. When someone mistakenly hit the forward button on the robot instead of reverse, Fabo went flying into a neighboring booth, causing glass to shatter and injure a visitor. A video recording of the incident subsequently went viral online.

The bad publicity saying is, of course, a bit facetious. Samsung, for example, might have a different view on bad publicity right now. Unlike Samsung, however, the Fabo incident was not the fault of the maker or the robot. Now, Fabo is being seen across news websites and social media in China.

This might be good news for Evolver Robotics since Fabo looks like a unique product that many might be interested in. The interactive educational robot market is a popular one for China companies, but many tend to be smaller robots of limited functionality.

Like other interactive China robots, Fabo recognizes and reacts to voice commands. It is also mobile through the use of wheels on the bottom, although users may want to avoid haphazardly pushing buttons. Fabo also comes with 64GB of internal storage. The company's website shows options for "household" and "commercial" versions of Fabo. The main page just advertises the household version for 30 percent off, though. Fabo currently costs 12,988 yuan, or about $1,885.

Education is one of the main functions of Fabo, as it is presented on the company website. However, Evolver Robotics clearly has higher ambitions. Some functions such as reciting back encyclopedic information and teaching English are a good fit for both businesses and average consumers. Yet, Evolver Robotics is also promoting Fabo as a robotic assistant that can help the elderly. Fabo also has an air purifier and an embedded projector made by Shenzhen Spreadview Century Technology.

Given the price, Fabo is not an impulse buy for the average consumer. Most parents looking for an educational robot for their kids might prefer some of the more affordable options coming out of China today. However, for a robot trying to capture multiple markets and act as a useful assistant at home, Fabo seems to cover all the bases.