Robots that helped people survive and stay safe over the past year are
touting their value at the tech industry's annual extravaganza amid a
pandemic which has given fresh momentum to the robotics sector.
The Consumer Electronics Show, which is being held online this year due to
the global crisis, includes robots that have become "heroes" for many during
the coronavirus pandemic.
Among those taking the virtual stage at CES are robot companions,
concierges, cooks, delivery drones, medical assistants and those handling
the perilous tasks of sanitizing workplaces and medical facilities.
Robot companions saw surging demand in recent months as pandemic lockdowns
intensified problems of isolation, especially for people in senior living
homes.
Amid a strict virus lockdown in France, the companion robot Cutii became a
star in senior facilities.
"The pandemic completely changed our business model," said Antoine Bataille,
chief executive of Cutii.
"We had envisioned Cutii at people's homes. But today we are dealing with
isolation on a collective level," he said.
The startup based in the northern French city Roubaix delivered 30 robots
for free to senior facilities during the lockdowns and used the experience
to improve the technology and train its teams.
"Everything worked well. Every two weeks we would deliver software updates,
which had to be done remotely. It's like what Tesla does."
Cutii, which combines elements of a telepresence robot with a smart digital
assistant, will be part of the show this year following its commercial
launch in France and a marketing push in the US.
Cutii's head of US operations, Richard Marshall, said the crisis has shown
people need more than a smart assistant such as Google or Amazon Alexa.
The French-made robot was designed to allow family members to check in, and
also help people find activities such as yoga or tai chi classes, either in
person or online.
"The point of Cutii is to connect individuals to other people," Marshall
said. It is not an Alexa on wheels."
Wendy Moyle, a professor at Australia's Griffith University who specialises
in research on the elderly, said studies have shown people may develop "a
strong relationship" to companion robots "much like older people do with
having a pet dog for company."
But Moyle said current technology for most robots "is just not sophisticated
enough" and that many people are disappointed after a while.
Robots have taken on a new role in the workplace and in medical facilities
in the era of social distancing.
Misty Robotics, which produces a robot platform open to outside developers,
last year launched its own temperature screening app for workplaces and
medical facilities, while also working with partners which can make the
robot a companion or digital assistant.
The pandemic has made it easier for people to view robots as non-threatening
and as friends, said Misty Robotics chief executive Tim Enwall
"The elderly don't have contact and the elderly are certainly very afraid of
viruses that can come from contact and there's loneliness and isolation,"
Enwall told AFP.
In an office environment, robots like Misty can become a virtual "concierge"
which eliminates the need for risky person-to-person contact, Enwall added.
"The robot at the front door can do that same basic triage in a way that's
very familiar to a lot of people," he said.
"It's friendly, it's interactive it's enjoyable," he added.
Meanwhile several exhibitors including South Korean giant LG will be showing
a new line of disinfecting robots which have been in demand during the
pandemic.
LG's autonomous robot which uses ultraviolet light to disinfect high-touch,
high-traffic areas is being launched this year to US hotels, schools,
corporate offices, retail and restaurant operators and transportation hubs
such as airports and train stations.
The companies are betting that demand for improved health and safety will
continue even after the pandemic is contained.
Automated kitchen technology has been gaining interest in recent years, and
that has been accelerated by the pandemic, said Alex Barseghian, CEO of
startup RoboEatz which began in Latvia and is now headquartered in Canada.
RoboEatz is launching its artificial intelligence-powered autonomous robotic
kitchen system that prepares, cooks and serves an array of hot and cold food
dishes from soups to salads to meal bowls.
The robotic system, designed for food services operations in corporate
offices, campuses and hospitals as well as quick-serve restaurants, takes
over some of the tedious food prep tasks while improving food safety and
eliminating infection risks from crowded kitchens.
Barseghian said the idea of robotic food prep, which can cut food waste and
labor costs, has gained traction as a result of the pandemic.
"For a lot of restaurants, efficiency is important," he said. "Every
millimetre in the kitchen is measured. They didn't think about social
distancing, so automating the kitchen really solves that problem."
RoboEatz plans to launch its own restaurant in Latvia this month as it
markets its "turnkey" kitchen in North America.
Even after the pandemic fades, Barseghian said he expects a continued focus
on health and safety in kitchens: "I don't think it will ever be the same
again."
Samsung has unveiled a range of new robots designed to help out around the
home - capable of filling the dishwasher and even pouring owners a glass of
wine.
The line-up includes a robot vacuum cleaner which uses artificial
intelligence (AI) to identify cables and fragile objects when tidying.
It is joined by the Bot Care, a robotic assistant which also uses AI to
learn a person's schedule and habits, and the Bot Handy, which includes a
robotic arm and is able to analyse objects and pick them up with the correct
force to help with household chores.
To demonstrate the Bot Handy, the tech giant showed it lifting items from a
kitchen side into a dishwasher, as well as pouring a glass of wine without
any human help.
The JetBot 90 AI+ robot vacuum includes a camera as well as sensors to
navigate around the home, and the camera can also be used remotely by owners
to check in on pets.
However, there was no word on when the robots might be made available to the
public.
The trio of new devices were part of Samsung's new gadget announcements at
CES, the annual technology convention which has moved entirely online for
the first time in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Samsung said it was increasingly looking at ways of improving life at home
for people, as lockdowns and social distancing measures mean many spent more
time working and studying from home.
"Our world looks different, and many of you have been faced with a new
reality - one where, among other things, your home has taken on a greater
significance," said Samsung's Sebastian Seung.
"Our innovations are designed to provide more personal and more intuitive
experiences that express your personality. We're hard at work to bring you
next-generation innovation, with AI as the core enabler, for your better
tomorrow."
Devices designed to improve life in the pandemic as well as respond to new
trends emerging from it has already been an early theme of this year's CES,
with fellow tech giant LG announcing a robot which uses UV light to
disinfect surfaces earlier on Monday.
Tech giant LG has launched its new autonomous robot at this year's virtual
CES
Tech giant LG has launched a new autonomous robot which uses ultraviolet
light to disinfect surfaces amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Cloi UV-C robot uses ultraviolet C (UV-C) light to disinfect touchable
surfaces in communal spaces in around 30 minutes.
Officially unveiled during the first day of the CES digital event, LG said
the device is designed to operate in hospitality, retail, corporate and
educational settings as a way to irradiate high-touch, high-traffic areas.
It is the latest example of technology firms responding to new needs created
during the pandemic.
It also follows LG's introduction last year of a battery-powered face mask
which the company labelled a wearable air purifier.
LG said this latest robot had been created at a time "when hygiene is of the
highest priority for hotel guests, students and restaurant customers".
The new robot is also programmed to reduce human exposure to UV rays, with
motion detection sensors in place which activate a safety lock and stop the
robot when it senses people within a five-metre radius.
The robot's progress and controls can also be accessed via a connected
mobile app.
Elsewhere at its CES press conference, the Korean tech firm unveiled a range
of new home appliances, including new smart fridges and washing machines, as
well as a new line of high-end LCD televisions.
CES is normally held every January in Las Vegas, with thousands of
exhibitors and more than 170,000 attendees coming to see a wide range of new
gadgets unveiled.
However, the event has moved entirely online for the first time in 2021 as
the world continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
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