https://www.scmp.com/rss/500748/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sending miniature robots deep inside the human skull to treat brain disorders has long been the stuff of science fiction – but it could soon become reality, according to a California start-up. Bionaut Labs plans its first clinical trials on humans in just two years for its tiny injectable robots, which can be carefully guided through the brain using magnets. “The idea of the micro robot came about way before I was born,” said co-founder and CEO Michael Shpigelmacher. “One of the most famous... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3174184/us-start-sends-tiny-robots-voyage-human-brains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3174184/us-start-sends-tiny-robots-voyage-human-brains?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Apr 2022 23:35:37 +0000 Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed a robotic slime that could help reduce the need for invasive surgery and help with other medical operations. The flexible, jellylike substance was partially inspired by the superhero film Venom and is made up of magnetic particles that can be controlled by external magnets. China’s snakelike space robot ‘designed to move or manipulate a big object’ It can be stretched up to seven times its original length, form complex shapes or... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3173742/how-superhero-film-venom-inspired-scientists-create-magnetic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3173742/how-superhero-film-venom-inspired-scientists-create-magnetic?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Apr 2022 23:00:25 +0000 Taking the pooch out for its regular walk is one of the great joys and chores of dog ownership. But does it apply if the dog is a robot? This seemingly futuristic question may no longer be a thing of the past, as robot dogs have started to appear on short video platforms across mainland China, with one video receiving over 700,000 likes. Wu Xiangyu, a Shanghai resident, is an owner of a robot dog, and walking the canine in his spare time has become a regular routine, he told mainland media... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3167294/robot-dogs-take-streets-china-could-they-ever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3167294/robot-dogs-take-streets-china-could-they-ever?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Feb 2022 23:30:22 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3163404/camel-beauty-contest-being-lgbtq-and-chinese-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3163404/camel-beauty-contest-being-lgbtq-and-chinese-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jan 2022 07:58:13 +0000 JD.com, the second-largest e-commerce platform in China, has opened two “robotic” shops in the Netherlands as it tests a new shopping model in the European market. Branded as Ochama, combining the concepts of “omnichannel” and “amazing”, the stores merge online ordering with pickup shops where robots prepare parcels for collection and home delivery services are offered, the company said in a statement late Monday. This is the first time that the Beijing-based tech giant, founded by billionaire... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3162840/jdcom-opens-robotic-shops-netherlands-chinese-e-commerce-giant-tests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3162840/jdcom-opens-robotic-shops-netherlands-chinese-e-commerce-giant-tests?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jan 2022 14:00:17 +0000 Researchers in China say they have developed an industrial robot that can read a human co-worker’s mind with 96 per cent accuracy. The robot not only monitored the worker’s brain waves, but also collected electric signals from muscles, as it worked seamlessly together to assemble a complex product, according to its developers at China Three Gorges University’s Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation Technology Centre. The co-worker did not need to say or do anything when they needed a tool or a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3162257/chinese-scientists-build-factory-robot-can-read-minds-assembly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3162257/chinese-scientists-build-factory-robot-can-read-minds-assembly?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jan 2022 21:00:19 +0000 China has unveiled a set of ambitious goals to enhance automation in manufacturing, as it strives to become a global leader in bringing robots to the factory floor. Under a five-year plan jointly published by several government agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China aims to achieve a minimum annual growth of 20 per cent in robotics sales, and develop a group of industry champions to double the “robot density” of the world’s most populous country. Why fewer... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3161408/rising-automation-power-china-aims-be-world-robot-champion-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3161408/rising-automation-power-china-aims-be-world-robot-champion-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Dec 2021 11:00:31 +0000 At Dignity Kitchen, a tablet-bearing robot greets you at the door, interacts with customers and staff, and reminds incoming guests to scan the LeaveHomeSafe contact-tracing app. “Hello, I’m Ah Fai,” says the person on the screen. “Welcome to Dignity Kitchen. If you want any suggestions, our signature dish is the Hainan chicken rice, or the bak kut teh [pork bone tea] is very popular.” The face and voice on the screen of the robot, Temi, belong to Kwan Siu-fai, a 44-year-old paraplegic who has... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3160524/these-robots-hotels-and-restaurants-are-controlled-real-people-how-remote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3160524/these-robots-hotels-and-restaurants-are-controlled-real-people-how-remote?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Dec 2021 04:15:24 +0000 It’s whip fast, obeys commands and doesn’t leave unpleasant surprises on the floor – meet the AlphaDog, a robotic response to two of China’s burgeoning loves: pets and technology. The hi-tech hound uses sensors and artificial intelligence technology to “hear” and “see” its environment – and can even be taken for walks. “It’s really very similar to a real dog,” says Ma Jie, chief technology officer at Weilan, the company behind the product. AlphaDog follows in the paw prints of “Spot”, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3128791/tech-firms-robo-dogs-have-their-day-china-pet-ownership-booms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3128791/tech-firms-robo-dogs-have-their-day-china-pet-ownership-booms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Apr 2021 09:40:26 +0000 Chinese property developer Country Garden is looking beyond its core real estate operations to power growth as regulators tighten the screws on the country’s highly leveraged property sector to prevent any financial shocks. As part of this strategy, the company is betting on its catering robot business – Qianxi Robotics Group – with the aim of turning it into the world’s largest intelligent catering group. And it aims to take it public when the timing is right. Qianxi currently operates 80... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3128123/mainland-developer-country-garden-bets-robots-it-looks-become?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3128123/mainland-developer-country-garden-bets-robots-it-looks-become?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Apr 2021 05:30:11 +0000 While other industries struggle, Liu Zhiyong says China’s virus outbreak is boosting demand for his knee-high, bright yellow robots to deliver groceries and patrol malls looking for shoppers who fail to wear masks. Liu, CEO of ZhenRobotics Corp., is among millions of entrepreneurs who are gradually getting back to work after China declared victory over the coronavirus that shut down the world’s second-largest economy. ZhenRobotics’ flagship model is the six-wheeled, 68-centimeter-tall... https://www.scmp.com/tech/autonomous-robot-delivers-groceries-and-patrols-malls-sees-surge-demand/article/3076115?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/autonomous-robot-delivers-groceries-and-patrols-malls-sees-surge-demand/article/3076115?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2020 09:54:59 +0000 Researchers at one of China’s top universities have designed a robot they say could help save lives on the frontline during the coronavirus outbreak. The machine consists of a robotic arm on wheels that can perform ultrasounds, take mouth swabs and listen to sounds made by a patient’s organs, usually done with a stethoscope. Such tasks are normally carried out by doctors in person. But with this robot, which is fitted with cameras, medical personnel do not need to be in the same room as the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinas-tsinghua-university-has-robot-arm-could-help-coronavirus-epidemic/article/3073977?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinas-tsinghua-university-has-robot-arm-could-help-coronavirus-epidemic/article/3073977?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2020 14:40:54 +0000 When Zhang Ge first donned protective clothing as part of his job as an engineer with a robotics company, it was not to prevent contamination of the delicate electronic circuitry inside his company’s hi-tech products. The 28 year old had been sent to Wuhan, epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, to install catering robots in a hospital at the front lines of the fight to contain the deadly disease. Zhang was among more than 20 engineers from Shenzhen-based robotics company Pudu Technology... https://www.scmp.com/tech/heres-how-china-turning-tech-fight-coronavirus/article/3051779?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/heres-how-china-turning-tech-fight-coronavirus/article/3051779?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2020 09:02:12 +0000 The deadly coronavirus outbreak, which has pushed the Chinese medical community into overdrive, has also prompted the country’s hospitals to more quickly adopt robots as medical assistants. Telepresence bots that allow remote video communication, patient health monitoring and safe delivery of medical goods are growing in number on hospital floors in urban China. They’re now acting as a safe go-between that helps curb the spread of the coronavirus. Keenon Robotics Co., a Shanghai-based company,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/coronavirus-rapidly-spreads-hospitals-turn-robots-help/article/3049517?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/coronavirus-rapidly-spreads-hospitals-turn-robots-help/article/3049517?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2020 09:59:40 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS An unmanned grocery store is now open at Wuhan’s new Huoshenshan hospital. The store adopts a cashier system built by Alibaba’s Taoxianda, a fresh food delivery service offered by Taobao. (Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba.) Taoxianda says a custom cashier system was built for the store within five hours, and it doesn’t produce paper receipts so no staff is needed to put in new paper rolls. It also said a... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3049149/unmanned-grocery-store-built-fight-coronavirus-new-wuhan-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3049149/unmanned-grocery-store-built-fight-coronavirus-new-wuhan-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2020 07:42:32 +0000 An unmanned grocery store is now open at Wuhan’s new Huoshenshan hospital. The store adopts a cashier system built by Alibaba’s Taoxianda, a fresh food delivery service offered by Taobao. (Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba.) Taoxianda says a custom cashier system was built for the store within five hours, and it doesn’t produce paper receipts so no staff is needed to put in new paper rolls. It also said a similar unmanned store will be launched at the... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/unmanned-grocery-store-built-fight-coronavirus-new-wuhan-hospital/article/3049107?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/unmanned-grocery-store-built-fight-coronavirus-new-wuhan-hospital/article/3049107?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2020 07:42:31 +0000 Self-driving cars employ lidar, a remote sensing technology using pulsed laser light the way radar uses radio waves, and lidar makers waiting for the automotive market to take off are courting new customers who would use the technology for everything from monitoring cattle to helping a disc jockey synchronize dance music. Ouster, a San Francisco tech startup, is tapping new markets including delivery robots, disaster relief and even an approach from the disc jockey. Another Bay area startup,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/why-are-companies-dji-making-lidar-laser-sensors/article/3045173?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/why-are-companies-dji-making-lidar-laser-sensors/article/3045173?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2020 09:05:24 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Two years ago, China had such a big presence at the Consumer Electronics Show that it was jokingly dubbed the Chinese electronics show. But the ongoing trade war has had an impact. The number of Chinese exhibitors dropped from 1,551 in 2018 to 1,120 in 2019, and it’s projected to drop a further 5% to 6% this year. The number of Chinese attendees also reportedly dropped from 15,383 in 2018 to 12,839 in 2019. Still, despite the smaller presence, there are... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3044926/scooters-hidden-cameras-and-robot-cats-what-expect-chinese-companies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3044926/scooters-hidden-cameras-and-robot-cats-what-expect-chinese-companies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jan 2020 02:09:07 +0000 Two years ago, China had such a big presence at the Consumer Electronics Show that it was jokingly dubbed the Chinese electronics show. But the ongoing trade war has had an impact. The number of Chinese exhibitors dropped from 1,551 in 2018 to 1,120 in 2019, and it’s projected to drop a further 5% to 6% this year. The number of Chinese attendees also reportedly dropped from 15,383 in 2018 to 12,839 in 2019. Still, despite the smaller presence, there are still likely to be a few highlights from... https://www.scmp.com/tech/scooters-hidden-cameras-and-robot-cats-what-expect-chinese-companies-ces-2020/article/3044809?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/scooters-hidden-cameras-and-robot-cats-what-expect-chinese-companies-ces-2020/article/3044809?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jan 2020 02:09:05 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS There has long been a debate on whether robots will end up putting a large part of the population out of work. Now China says that AI and automation will indeed replace some jobs, but it won’t be as damaging as feared. That’s according to a report published this week by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a national think tank. It says that during China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, which starts in 2021, the rise of robots will not lead to “significant”... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3044771/china-says-robots-and-ai-wont-lead-significant-loss-jobs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3044771/china-says-robots-and-ai-wont-lead-significant-loss-jobs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jan 2020 02:00:17 +0000 There has long been a debate on whether robots will end up putting a large part of the population out of work. Now China says that AI and automation will indeed replace some jobs, but it won’t be as damaging as feared. That’s according to a report published this week by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a national think tank. It says that during China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, which starts in 2021, the rise of robots will not lead to “significant” job destruction. The state-run People’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-says-robots-ai-wont-lead-significant-loss-jobs/article/3044546?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-says-robots-ai-wont-lead-significant-loss-jobs/article/3044546?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jan 2020 02:00:15 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Tired of spam robocalls? Baidu is now going to fight fire with fire using its own anti-spam robots. Baidu AI Cloud has joined with Best Tone, a company under state-owned telecommunications service provider China Telecom, to launch an AI-powered bot that handles robocalls. The bot answers calls, chats with callers and then sends you a report through SMS or WeChat about the conversation. The service called Tianyi Zhineng Xiao Baitong (“Tianyi Intelligent... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3041988/baidu-fights-robocalls-its-own-robot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3041988/baidu-fights-robocalls-its-own-robot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Dec 2019 07:55:28 +0000 Tired of spam robocalls? Baidu is now going to fight fire with fire using its own anti-spam robots. Baidu AI Cloud has joined with Best Tone, a company under state-owned telecommunications service provider China Telecom, to launch an AI-powered bot that handles robocalls. The bot answers calls, chats with callers and then sends you a report through SMS or WeChat about the conversation. The service called Tianyi Zhineng Xiao Baitong (“Tianyi Intelligent Little Know-It-All”) relies on Baidu’s... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/baidu-fights-robocalls-its-own-robot/article/3041955?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/baidu-fights-robocalls-its-own-robot/article/3041955?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Dec 2019 07:55:27 +0000 Many people have sounded a warning that artificial intelligence could become one of the biggest job-killing technologies of all time. While the jury is still out on that one, a recent survey has better news for the industry, finding that 88% of Chinese workers have more trust in robots than in their human managers. China’s trust level of robots in the workplace is well above the world average, where about two thirds of workers trust AI over their managers, but slightly behind India at 89%,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-workers-trust-robot-coworkers-more-their-managers/article/3033171?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-workers-trust-robot-coworkers-more-their-managers/article/3033171?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2019 00:00:10 +0000 The Chinese government sees the use of robots as a way to upgrade the nation’s manufacturing industry, with a goal of producing 100,000 locally made industrial robots annually by 2020, equal to a robot density of 150 for every 10,000 employees. To reach that goal, the government has been financially supporting the domestic robotic industry for the past five years, with the subsidies accounting for 20% of the industry’s net profit in China, according to Sinolink Securities. Dai Zhendong,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinas-robotics-industry-too-reliant-subsidies-says-expert/article/3030941?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinas-robotics-industry-too-reliant-subsidies-says-expert/article/3030941?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 11:05:05 +0000 The newly inaugurated Beijing Daxing International Airport is expected to eventually become one of the world’s busiest, as its operations relieve pressure on the Chinese capital’s overcrowded main aviation hub. On Wednesday, the initial batch of travelers who used the new airport – located about 65km south of Beijing Capital International Airport – were also the first to experience how the latest technologies adopted by this facility may set it apart from other second long-haul international... https://www.scmp.com/tech/beijings-new-airport-has-5g-and-robots/article/3030451?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/beijings-new-airport-has-5g-and-robots/article/3030451?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Sep 2019 13:08:43 +0000 Two years ago, Bao Xiangyi quit school and worked as a waiter in a restaurant for half a year to support himself, and the 19 year-old remembers the time vividly. “It was crazy working in some Chinese restaurants. My WeChat steps number sometimes hit 20,000 in a day [just by delivering meals in the restaurant],” said Bao. The WeChat steps fitness tracking function gauges how many steps you literally take and 20,000 steps per day can be compared with a whole day of outdoor activity, ranking you... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/people-dont-want-be-waiters-so-robots-are-stepping/article/3027504?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/people-dont-want-be-waiters-so-robots-are-stepping/article/3027504?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:52:35 +0000 Wang Lingmei is sitting in front of a rehab training machine in an elderly care center in China and playing an electronic game. Using a machine that looks a bit like an electronic piano with a TV screen attached instead of a music score, the 84-year-old is reaching out to touch virtual fruits by moving a handle as part of a daily exercise routine to recover mobility after fracturing her right arm and leg in a fall a year ago. “The game is interesting and makes me feel happy,” she says in a... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/why-chinas-elderly-are-playing-games-nursing-homes/article/3026540?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/why-chinas-elderly-are-playing-games-nursing-homes/article/3026540?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Sep 2019 11:07:16 +0000 The 2019 World Robot Conference is being held in Beijing this week. The annual expo showcases over 700 exhibits with the latest, coolest robots. https://www.scmp.com/tech/cutting-edge-robots-showcased-beijings-2019-world-robot-conference/article/3024043?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/cutting-edge-robots-showcased-beijings-2019-world-robot-conference/article/3024043?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2019 11:25:51 +0000 Humans might still be debating the authenticity of certain Chinese dishes, but factories in China believe robots already have the answer. More than 10 manufacturers of mass-produced Chinese food products have been using taste-testing robots for over three years now to ensure the quality and authenticity of their products, according to a report submitted to the Chinese government last month. The foods tested include cured pork belly, black rice vinegar, fine dried noodles, Chinese yellow wine,... https://www.scmp.com/food/ai-robot-factory-taste-test-authentic-chinese-food/article/3009173?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/ai-robot-factory-taste-test-authentic-chinese-food/article/3009173?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2019 07:37:09 +0000