POK FU LAM, Hong Kong — Robots designed to contain the spread of a deadly disease might seem like science fiction material.
These technological advancements, however, helped Hong Kong return to normalcy ahead of its neighbors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roborn Technology Limited or Roborn, a technology company in Hong Kong, is behind some of these machines.
Roborn’s products and solutions cover health, education, food and beverages, and other industries and sectors. It has since deployed some of its machines to contain the highly communicable disease in different parts of the region.
It is founded by three experts in technology and business, as follows:
Eden Lu for finance and strategy
Mark Mak for tech and strategy
Larry Poon for portfolio and strategy
Roborn is located in Cyberport, a business park with over 1,900 startup businesses that cover different fields and industries.
Here are some of the robots and machines that are still being used to keep people in Hong Kong safe and healthy from diseases, including COVID-19:
Disinfection robot
While it may look like a machine with guns, Roborn’s 5G AI (artificial intelligence) Robotic System calledSau Wu is an effective outdoor disinfection robot.
With the use of a 360-degree camera for surveillance, Sau Wu can work in various outdoor settings and even under different conditions.
During the peak of the pandemic, it was deployed to the Yuen Long Mobile Cabin Hospital.
Sau Wu, the disinfection robot
Sensor touch interface
Roborn has made it possible to just point at a button for it to function.
Called the “kNOw Touch,” this contactless elevator control system has an infrared touch sensor, a relay control device and elevator buttons to allow a touchless interface.
It is now being used at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and other government buildings.
A touchless or contactless elevator button control system
Close contact smart robot
This robot with odd-looking eyes is a 5G epidemic prevention smart robot called PEP300.
Developed for only 15 days, it detects individuals who have abnormal temperatures. Once the target is identified, it quickly captures images of close contacts using a 4K camera for effective contact tracing.
PEP3000 was deployed to the Hong Kong Red Cross, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and other government agencies.
PEP3000, the robot for detecting individuals with symptoms
Other robots and devices
Roborn has also created robots for medical training, rescue missions, and education of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) students.
R Cafe, a robot that can mimic the manual brewing of coffeeRobots for STEM learning in schoolsSome of robots being exhibited to conduct rescue missions
Check out the rest of Roborn’s innovations on its website here Product – Roborn.
The comeback of the tech summit
As part of Hong Kong’s return to normalcy, experts, entrepreneurs and industry leaders in the field of information and technology also gathered during the comeback of the region’s annual summit, now rebranded as Digital Economy Summit or DES, on April 13.
Here are some of the technological solutions mounted at the summit’s “experience zone” in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center (HKCEC) in Wan Chai, Hong Kong:
First one is DMall, a cloud solution for retail. It offers self-checkout of products in stores, suitable for those that lacked manpower. It is currently being used in big retail stores in China, Singapore and Cambodia. @interaksyonpic.twitter.com/j8hsuSXkTj
For the opening of this event, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee highlighted his view on the impact of the health crisis on the region.
“The pandemic has highlighted the importance of a robust digital economy like never before. From e-commerce and online education, to remote work and smart city innovations, the adoption of digital technologies is now part of the new normal today around the world everywhere,” Lee said.
“The digital economy offers a way forward for businesses and individuals alike, providing opportunities for growth and resilience in the face of uncertainties,” he added.
Lee also emphasized the following: “Yes, Hong Kong has resumed normalcy in full and is back on the center stage.”
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Editor’s note: The trip to Hong Kong was hosted by Hong Kong Economic Trade & Office. At no stage does the host organization have a say in the stories generated from the coverage, interviews conducted, publication date and story treatment. Content is produced solely by Interaksyon following editorial guidelines.
