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Newest first · UTC+11:00US Lab Renowned for Nuclear Research Using High Tech to Fight COVID-19
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Japanese AI checks workers for proper handwashing amid coronavirus pandemic | South China Morning Post
A Japanese company has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system to monitor workers to make sure they scrub their hands properly. Developed by Fujitsu, the device can reportedly recognise complex hand movements and even detect when people aren’t using soap.
Philippine school holds ‘robot-graduation’ amid coronavirus pandemic | South China Morning Post
The coronavirus pandemic may have prohibited mass gatherings, but it is not stopping this Philippine primary school in Manila from holding its graduation ceremony. 'Robots' dressed in graduation gowns with mounted tablets showing the faces of graduating students stand in to receive diplomas and medals on June 11, 2020.
Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou leaves Canadian court after legal setback | South China Morning Post
Meng Wanzhou, a top executive and daughter of the founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei, was dealt a legal setback on May 27, 2020, when a Canadian judge ruled that US fraud charges against her satisfied a Canadian extradition requirement of “double criminality”. Meng left the court, returning to house arrest in Vanc…
Police stop and search people in Causeway Bay as protesters oppose national anthem bill | South China Morning Post
Hong Kong police are carrying out a stop and search operation outside the Apple Store in Causeway Bay during lunch hour on March 27, as anti-government protesters gather to demonstrate against the controversial national anthem law being debated inside the city's Legislative Council. Police warned people to clear the…
Coronavirus spread would dramatically drop if 80% of a population wore masks, AI researcher says | South China Morning Post
Professor De Kai is a founding member of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and one of the inaugural members of Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) ethics council, the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC). He spoke with the South China Morning Post’s Elaine Ly about how his research us…
COVID-19 Drives Health Care Tech Innovation in Ghana
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First Robot to Fly Like Bird Borrows from Scourge of City Dwellers
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Singapore deploys robot to promote safe distancing among park visitors | South China Morning Post
Singapore has unveiled a four-legged robot programmed to keep park visitors tuned in to rules about safe social-distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Developed by Boston Dynamics, the robot has been busy during a two-week test run during off peak hours at the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.
China’s hi-tech industries capitalise on Covid-19 pandemic health care needs | South China Morning Post
The Covid-19 pandemic has put great strain on hospitals which are short of enough workers and struggling to protect staff from the deadly virus that causes the disease. Many other industries are also scrambling to find ways to protect workers from infection. For some of China’s hi-tech industries, including those in…
Robot drummers and cardboard ‘fans’ in stands for Covid-19 delayed Taiwan baseball season opener | South China Morning Post
The season opener for Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League got underway after nearly a month of delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with some help from robot drummers and cardboard “fans” in the stands. A rain delay forced the game to be moved from Saturday to Sunday, April 12, 2020, but still in time for i…
Avatar robots replace Japanese students for graduation ceremony amid Covid-19 pandemic | South China Morning Post
To avoid large gatherings amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Business Breakthrough University in Tokyo held a “robot graduation” where students received their diplomas by remotely controlling their avatars from home.
Coronavirus: China steps up use of robots to fight Covid-19 epidemic | South China Morning Post
Engineers involved in China’s artificial intelligence industry who have been developing “smart” robots are trying to come up with ways to use the devices to help fight the Covid-19 epidemic. While some of the robots are blasting the deadly coronavirus that causes the disease, others are being deployed in hospitals, …
China’s facial recognition technology identifies people wearing masks amid the Covid-19 epidemic | South China Morning Post
Beijing-based tech company Hanwang Technology Co Ltd said it has upgraded its facial recognition technology to allow devices to identify people even if they are masked to avoid spreading infection amid the Covid-19 epidemic.
UV light bacteria-killing robot deployed in Wuhan | South China Morning Post
A UV light bacteria-killing robot is being used at a hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak. It has been placed inside a CT scanner to prevent cross-infection while patients are tested for the coronavirus.
Robot shares information about coronavirus with New Yorkers | South China Morning Post
A robot at New York City’s Times Square is giving out face masks and informing pedestrians about the coronavirus. Passers-by can fill out a short questionnaire on the robot’s touch screen about symptoms they may have experienced. It will then reassure people they are fine or advise them to go to hospital.
Coronavirus outbreak: global businesses shut down operations in China | South China Morning Post
International corporations including Starbucks, Shanghai Disneyland, Google, several airlines and car companies have been shutting down their operations across China due to the deadly coronavirus outbreak. The World Health Organisation declared it a global health emergency on January 30, 2020.
China’s self-driving RoboTaxi hits the road | South China Morning Post
Companies developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology are racing to put autonomous taxis on the streets of China. One of the competitors in the potentially lucrative self-driving cab business is the WeRide RoboTaxi service based in the southern city of Guangzhou.
Apple’s App Store removes Hong Kong protest map app following China backlash | South China Morning Post
Apple has removed from its App Store a Hong Kong location map app that tracks protests activities following a backlash from China.
Huawei’s first global flagship store opens in Shenzhen amid US-China tech tensions | South China Morning Post
Huawei opened its first global flagship store in the southeastern Chinese city of Shenzhen on September 28, 2019.
Robot expert predicts a future filled with artificially intelligent, self-conscious machines | South China Morning Post
The line between robot and human is set to become increasingly blurred, according to Osaka University’s Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro. He works at a secretive research institute in Japan and predicts a future where robots not only look like humans but are self-conscious.
‘Robot doctors’ do morning health checks on Chinese preschoolers | South China Morning Post
Robots have been put to work in China to do routine morning health checks on preschoolers at more than 5,000 kindergartens across China.
Face-off between Jack Ma and Elon Musk on AI in Shanghai | South China Morning Post
Founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, had an animated debate over the future of AI and Mars exploration at the Shanghai World Artificial Intelligence Conference on August 29, 2019.
FT Health: Communicable Diseases
Tuberculosis rethink; fears for HIV progress; AI potential against resistant bacteria; UK boosts wastewater tests; rebuilding immunity to superbugs; insect-borne diseases threat; Chagas disease explainer
Cutting-edge robots showcased at Beijing’s 2019 World Robot Conference | South China Morning Post
The 2019 World Robot Conference is held in Beijing, China from August 20 to 25, 2019. The 5th annual expo showcases over 700 exhibits of the latest robotic technologies with more than 21 industrial applications.
Chinese firm showcases biomorphic robot bird | South China Morning Post
Robotic bird ‘Wind Rider’ can flap its wings and glide in the air just like a real bird. For drone users who want to fly with discretion, this is a perfect way to hide.
China to make Shenzhen into a model city with bolder reforms | South China Morning Post
Beijing has given Shenzhen special status to carry out wide-ranging reforms in a plan unveiled on August 18, 2019. It hopes the country’s high-tech capital just across the border from Hong Kong will become a model city for others to follow.
Garbage bins with facial recognition cameras put into use in Beijing | South China Morning Post
Facial recognition cameras have been installed on garbage bins in a complex of flats in the Chinese capital, Beijing. The lids of the bins automatically open when a device recognises the face of a person previously registered on the community’s system. The hi-tech trash cans are in place at one of about 100 apartmen…
Sophie, the robot chef that cooks nearly perfect laksa | South China Morning Post
Sophie is a robot chef that can serve a bowl of piping-hot laksa in just 45 seconds. Orange Clove, the Singapore caterer that developed the robot with a local engineering company, said it wants to cut down on repetitive work so that its human chefs can interact more with their customers to better know their needs.
US police release Chinese tycoon Richard Liu’s alleged rape case files | South China Morning Post
Minneapolis police released files on their investigation into the alleged rape of a student by Chinese tech tycoon Richard Liu. Liu, the 46-year-old CEO of China’s e-commerce giant JD.com, was arrested in August last year. He was accused of raping Liu Jingyao, a 21-year-old Chinese undergraduate at the University of…
Robot and prototypes: Tokyo gears up for 2020 Olympics | South China Morning Post
A year before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, the construction of more than half of the sporting venues has been completed. Japan hosted the Summer Olympics in 1964 as well as the Winter Olympics in 1972 and 1998, but the 2020 Games will be the most technologically advanced, says Toyota, its “mobility sponsor”. The…
Monaco launches Huawei-built 5G network, the first in Europe | South China Morning Post
Monaco became the first country in Europe to set up a 5G mobile phone network on July 9, 2019. The network was built using technology from Chinese tech giant Huawei, which has been placed on a US blacklist. Despite security concerns voiced by Washington and other world governments, the local operator has defended it…
Chinese man turns broken-down car into real-life Bumblebee Transformer | South China Morning Post
Wang Yanbin, a toy designer from central China’s Hubei province, turned a broken-down car into a real-life Bumblebee, from the Transformers series. He had been a huge fan of the robot and wanted to turn the movie into reality.
Amid US-China trade war, China aims to elevate its domestic rare earth industry | South China Morning Post
As the world’s largest refiner and supplier of rare earths, China is imposing tighter export controls on the metallic chemical elements widely used in hi-tech products, as Beijing tries to elevate its domestic industry.
Researcher finds hi-tech way to revive Hong Kong’s 'Pearl of the Orient' heritage | South China Morning Post
Hong Kong has long been known as the “Pearl of the Orient” and until the late 17th century enjoyed a thousand-year-old reputation for wild pearl harvesting.
Meet the founder of Megvii, one of China’s most ambitious AI startups | South China Morning Post
Megvii, commonly known as Face++, is one of China’s most ambitious artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups. The company was founded in 2011 by three graduates from Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University. Megvii provides facial recognition and other AI technology for a range of uses, including for public security a…
US warns of ‘security risk’ from China-made drones as tech war heats up | South China Morning Post
The US government has issued a warning that drones made by Chinese manufacturers may pose risks of cyber-espionage, and threaten the national security of the United States.
How young travellers and social media have shaped Hong Kong’s tourism | South China Morning Post
As one of Hong Kong’s pillar industries, tourism is being shaped by an emerging breed of young tech-savvy travellers. They follow their peers or key opinion leaders (KOL), focus on experience, take shorter trips and as a result, spend less on each visit. Paul Chan, a local tour guide, who weaves history and human st…
South America’s largest solar farm backed by Chinese tech and money | South China Morning Post
The massive Cauchari solar farm project in northern Argentina is a testament to China’s rising influence in Latin America.
AI robot creates Chinese traditional ink paintings | South China Morning Post
Hong Kong artist Victor Wong spent three years creating a robot that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to paint Chinese shuimo artwork.
Chinese mum’s acting keeps food-loving baby from swiping her snack | South China Morning Post
A Chinese mum has charmed social media users with a video showing her pretending to watch TV whenever her nine-month-old son tried to catch her snacking on an apple. The award-worthy performance filmed in China’s central province of Hubei shows the baby being fooled at first by his mother’s hilarious attempt to keep…
Ai Weiwei unveils Lego portraits of missing Mexican students | South China Morning Post
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei unveiled a series of Lego portraits of 43 Mexican students who were allegedly abducted and massacred on their way to stage a protest in 2014. The multicolored, pop-art portraits were made with around one million Lego blocks, and are displayed above a timeline that chronicles the case of the …
ABB builds its largest robot factory in Shanghai | South China Morning Post
European robots maker ABB is betting on China - the world’s largest industrial robot market - to build its biggest factory yet. Set to open in 2020 in Shanghai, it will churn out 100,000 robots annually – a quarter of the total global production capacity in 2017.
Man to man: South Korea’s toxic masculinity explained | South China Morning Post
Chief News Editor Yonden Lhatoo explains why the next big export for tech-savvy South Korea may be the dirty business of “molka” or secret camera porn, rather than more squeaky clean K-pop idols.