Al Khaleej stuns Al Hilal with 3-2 victory, ending 57-match unbeaten run    Turki Al-Sheikh crowned "Most Influential Personality in the Last Decade" at MENA Effie Awards 2024    Saudi Arabia arrests 19,696 illegals in a week    SFDA move to impose travel ban on workers of food outlets in the event of food poisoning    GACA: 1029 complaints recorded against airlines, with least complaints in Riyadh and Buraidah airports during October    CMA plans to allow former expatriates in Saudi and other Gulf states to invest in TASI    11 killed, 23 injured in Israeli airstrike on Beirut    Trump picks billionaire Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary    WHO: Mpox remains an international public health emergency    2 Pakistanis arrested for promoting methamphetamine    Move to ban on establishing zoos in residential neighborhoods    Moody's upgrades Saudi Arabia's credit rating to Aa3 with stable outlook    Al Okhdood halts Al Shabab's winning streak with a 1-1 draw in Saudi Pro League    Mahrez leads Al Ahli to victory over Al Fayha in Saudi Pro League    Saudi musical marvels takes center stage in Tokyo's iconic opera hall    Saudi Arabia and Japan to collaborate on training Saudi students in Manga comics Saudi Minister of Culture discusses cultural collaboration during Tokyo visit    Al Khaleej qualifies for Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship final    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Robotics: A historic leap and an every-day solution
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 28 - 10 - 2020

In a train of thought trailing back to 2002, one cannot help but come across iRobot's Roomba, a vacuum cleaning robot and one of our first encounters with machines performing human tasks. Since then, robotics has come a long way, with its growth trajectory moving at a speed we never imagined possible. Looking back, we have visited the idea of a robot takeover in science fiction myth, with films and novels envisioning a future where robots could speak, walk, react and even feel.
Interestingly, this is a description of the world we live in today; we have arrived at the future poets and writers once equated with fiction. How real is this ‘futuristic now' in reality? Does the word ‘future' describe progress or growth, with timelines and deadlines predicting smart cities due within time periods that are not long enough to even be fragments of history?
The future is now; it happens every day. For humanity, technology catapulted the human lifestyle and changed it drastically. For robotics, Artificial Intelligence reduced myths and legends into real physical experiences. Robots have emerged from tech labs onto the forefront of business.
We no longer have to wait for the general masses to interact with robots; they do it every day when they perform simple tasks such as calling their bank. In the UAE, popular banks like Emirates NBD have adopted a Chatbot named Eva, automated to respond to repetitive client inquiries, and reducing human workload. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what robotics is doing for the world.
Robotics falls perfectly into a puzzle of technological leaps we have made in the past twenty years, all leading to new heights for humanity; discovering new depths in the oceans and never-before-seen territories in space to developing smart cities like NEOM, a planned area in Saudi Arabia set to feature the latest, most jaw-dropping technologies.
The city derives its name from a bilingual play meaning "new future." Its vision and early plans seem to echo the fictional depiction of utopia, further emphasizing the type of change robotics is creating on our lives.
Today, Proven Arabia is in the process of marketing humanoid robots that might be filling in typically human spots. Pepper is a semi-humanoid robot capable of reading human emotions and reacting accordingly. Pepper's programmed social skills can place him as a host from spaces ranging from dinner parties to hospital reception areas.
This checks the hospitality box, a field of work that requires years of experience and special skills from a human perspective. The business-minded would have been skeptical perhaps five years ago, but today an opportunity like Pepper can mean a great customer experience and a chance to cut long-term costs like monthly salary and social insurance.
Furthermore, robotics is entering the education field in two very different ways. As a teacher's assistant, humanoid robots can co-host classes, engage students and share exciting inputs that might be repetitive from a human perspective. For example, NAO, a programmable humanoid robot can be incorporated in storytelling, history or geography classes. This adds excitement and engagement in the classroom.
Another way robotics is being incorporated in education is by including it in the curriculum. Robotics is a practical science that students can learn about and apply, as well as grow with. As a school subject, robotics can help educate and inform about an array of fields, such as mechanics, physics, math and engineering; and this one class can develop into a university major given its rapid growth as an industry, providing jobs for millions.
Finance, a fast-growing field fueled by the latest technology, is using robotics to provide a digital workforce to match and validate data and submit finalized reports into document management systems. Other applications are using RPA (Robotic Process Automation) to automatically settle trades and confirm allocation, a time-consuming process formerly performed manually.
RPA bots are also found in finance transferring verified data into systems. Verification of licenses and identification has now become a much easier and much more productive process thanks to robotics. The process now digitizes documents and uses native optical character recognition to save time and effort.
It is evident that robotics has become part of our everyday lives. From using a simple vacuum cleaner to building a smart city, there has been a massive shift in the way activities are performed, ranging from simple to complex world building.
— The writer is director and deputy CEO at Proven Consult


Clic here to read the story from its source.