Humanoid robots add to fun at Hong Kong talk
Designer is working on prototypes of life-size robots in his Hong Kong studio that he says could be adapted to shop, clean and cook
Human-like robots akin to those in the seminal science-fiction movie Star Wars may soon be found on earth thanks to a former Nasa scientist who relocated from the United States to work in Hong Kong.
Mark Tilden, a robotics physicist, is currently creating prototypes of a life-size humanoid at his design studio in Sai Kung.
"The ultimate goal is to come up with something that China is desperate for - a home robot assistant to clean your house, make your meals, get you your medication and put itself away," he said. But he acknowledged humans might not be ready for it.
"Our real problem now is that we have the technology, but we just don't understand how to fit it into our culture," he said.
"One day, it will be an amazing platform. We could do it next year but the problem is how do you introduce it to the market?
"So we will bring up the robots when it is culturally expedient to do so - that is, when we've got a design, a style and an application that isn't going to peeve your girlfriend."
Tilden was referring to the prototype: a 170cm, 20kg, shapely female robot with 186 hours of battery power, priced at around US$1,000.