We will slowly be replaced by robots that can work non-stop, don't ask for a raise and rarely fall "sick". This is a certainty that can no longer be avoided. Throughout 2023, there is a lot of robotic technology news that we find interesting. This is a list of the 10 Most Interesting Robotics Technology News of 2023.
1. Sara Is The First Robot That Can Speak In Arabic
Arabic is the sixth most spoken language in the world. This is more than Japanese, German, Korean and Portuguese. To become an important language, its use in the world of technology needs to be improved. At the LEAP 2023 event that took place in February, Saudi Arabia unveiled the first robot that can speak in Arabic.
The robot named Sara is humanoid and visitors can talk to it like a human. Visitors need to prompt it with the trigger word “Hey Sara” and it will start a conversation. In addition to chatting, Sara can also perform a traditional Saudi Arabian dance. Sara was developed by Saudi Digital and Qss Company as a step to introduce the latest technology in Saudi Arabia which wants to rebrand the country's image as a modem technology hub.
2. A Baby Has Been Born After Going Through The Fertilization Process Using The Help Of A Robot And PlayStation
IVF treatment has been used by couples who have difficulty conceiving a baby since it was invented in 1978. In Malaysia this treatment is quite expensive with it reaching around RM13,000. This is because there are many manual processes required for the fertilization process outside the body. According to a report by MIT Technology Review, two babies were successfully born using a robot and a PlayStation 5 controller in April this year.
Spain's Overture Life says its insemination robot has been successfully used by couples in the United States. A robot that assists in fertilization is sent to New York from Barcelona by Overture Life to a clinic. This robot is then used to inject sperm into an ovum.
The purpose of this fertilization robot was developed to reduce the expensive cost of IVF. It can replace the human embryological task of performing the same process manually.
3. ANDI Is The First Robot That Can Sweat And Shiver Like Humans
Scientists from Arizona State University (ASU) have also developed the ANDI robot that can replace humans in dangerous heat tests. ANDI is unique because it can sweat to cool its body and shiver when cold like humans. ANDI parameters can be changed to mimic human physiology of different ages and also those with diseases.
ASU built ANDI to look at the impact of heat on the human body and it was demonstrated in June. With climate change now underway, data to prevent heat-related deaths need to be studied. ANDI can be a substitute for humans in tests that can now be done safely. This is important because the thermal test room at ASU can reach temperatures of up to 60 degrees Celsius. If there was one human "job" that no one would complain about being replaced by a robot, doing this dangerous science experiment might be one of them.
4. KL Police is Studying the Use of Robots
Robocop is a fictional dystopian world where robots replace human police due to increasingly extreme crime. Although this dystopia has not yet occurred in Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur Police is currently in the phase of studying the use of robots in the fight against crime in a report we published in June.
Still in the initial phase of the study, these robots are expected to increase the presence and existence of the police in the city. This idea is still at the conceptual stage, but recently the KL Police have already visited a robot factory for this research process. Robots as police replacements have been used in Singapore, Dubai and San Francisco with varying degrees of success. In Singapore, robot dogs control social distancing during the pandemic. In San Francisco it was the victim of severe vandalism and was unable to defend itself.
5. Robots Begin to Be Used in U.S. Schools to Avoid Shooting Incidents
Speaking of the dystopian world, the United States is now getting closer to realizing the fictional world of Robocop into reality through the introduction of robots in schools that can detect shooting incidents. At Santa Fe High School, located in New Mexico, robots began to be used as security guards.
This robot operates 24 hours a day seven days a week with the ability to detect unknown individuals and intrusions. In the event of a shooting incident, it is instructed to contact security and stream the location of the shooter in real time. However, it is still not equipped with weapons because it is still in the experimental stage. The most logical solution is to control the sale of weapons, but in America this simple solution cannot be processed, so the world of "Robocop" is realized.
6. Boston Dynamics Shows How Atlas Robots Help On Construction Sites
Not all robotics usage and news this year has negative connotations. Boston Dynamic as the most prominent company with their robot technology shared a video of how their Atlas robot can help human workers on construction sites. In the 80-second video above, the ability to build bridges, jump, climb ladders, pick up objects and do somersaults like a gymnast is demonstrated.
Atlas still doesn't have any commercial uses like Spot, Stretch and Handle which are also offered by Boston Dynamics. But if in the future humans need construction site workers who are experts in Parkour, Atlas is the robot most suitable to use.
7. Japanese Company Develops Robot Like "Gundam"
The giant robot animation genre was popularized in Japan through the Gundam series in 1979. The real Gundam has not yet become a reality and is only a tourist attraction in theme parks at this time. But it is getting closer to becoming a reality after the ARCHAX robot was developed by a company in Tokyo with a height of 4.5 meters.
The ARCHAX cockpit is equipped with several monitors to facilitate control and view the environment when someone controls it. The robot can also move at a speed of 10km/h in transport mode. The developers aim to produce as many as 5 robots for the fans of the robot world. It is expected to be offered at a price of $3 million (~RM14.14 million) apiece. However, if expanded, it is expected to be used for emergency purposes and also the aerospace industry.
8. Xiaomi CyberDog 2 Also Launched In Smaller Size
Xiaomi CyberDog 2 was launched in August as a continuation of the original robot which was launched in 2021. This time it is smaller in size because according to Xiaomi the original model scared children. In terms of size, it is smaller than the Golden Retriever breed.
CyberDog 2 only weighs 8.9 kg and is 36.7cm long. Although smaller it is smarter and more complex with 12 motors to allow it to move at a speed of 1.6 m/s. Xiaomi says they developed their own electric motor for CyberDog 2 to meet their needs. One of the new features that CyberDog 2 can do is to do backflips many times.
In China Xiaomi CyberDog 2 is sold at a price of RMB 12,999 (~RM8,500) only and it will be offered as a robotics development platform in limited quantities.
9. Kuala Lumpur Selected as Ocean Cleanup's First Regional Office Location
Ocean Cleanup has made Malaysia the test location for The Interceptor since 2019. This self-driving vessel may not look like an ordinary robot but it is a successful cleaning robot of the Klang River. In April, the MHE-Demag facility in Klang was ordered to build The Interceptor for the Southeast Asia region. One of these ships has also received sponsorship from the Coldplay group.
Netherlands-based Ocean Cleanup announced they chose Kuala Lumpur as the location of their first regional office in the world. Kuala Lumpur's strategic location is the reason why it was chosen to facilitate more The Interceptor operating in Southeast Asia. The Interceptor is now also operating in Indonesia, Vietnam, with the next plan to start cleaning operations in Thailand as well.
The Interceptor works autonomously using batteries and can be recharged using solar panels on the roof. Each Interceptor can collect 50,000 kg of garbage per day. Therefore it does not have any impact on the environment and can work without noise pollution.
10. RACE – Malaysia's First Autonomous Agricultural Drone Launched
Meraque Group has launched the Robotic Agro in Complex Environment (RACE) self-driving agricultural vehicle which is the first to be produced by a Malaysian company in September. Robots with these tracks can perform farm tasks automatically without human intervention.
According to Meraque, other features on RACE are mobility control with artificial intelligence (AI), long-distance real-time data transmission, (LoRa), light detection and system (LiDAR). RACE was created to reduce dependence on labor and increase fertilizer spraying in various crop areas and agricultural fields, not h
Last year the RACE prototype was shown at the Malaysian International Agricommodity Expo & Summit (MIACES). Meraque is also involved in the production of drone kits to unearth the talent of local drone operators.