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Chinese Company Introduces an Affordable 3D Printed Robot That Aids The Elderly
Two technologies which are sure to lead the way to a brighter future, as well as boatloads of profits for those developing them, are 3D printing and robotics. These two industries have the potential to change the way we do nearly everything from manufacturing products to interacting with computers on a daily basis. When you combine them both, however, that’s when things may get a bit scary.
That’s just what one group is trying to do in Eastern China. Jiangxi Investment Co., Ltd. has been working quietly on a 3D printed robot which is suited for aiding the elderly within their homes. With an aging population that’s bound to grow, and at-home healthcare costs rising through the roof, this robot may be just what the doctor ordered, quite literally.
The company, which began R&D on this robot back in 2012 as a means to capitalize on China’s growing elderly population, showed off a prototype last week. The body of the robot has been 3D printed to resemble Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. For those of you who are not living in the eastern part of the world, the Monkey King is a beloved fictional character, known by many within Asia. Basically he’s the Mickey Mouse of that region, and first became popular in a classic Chinese novel called Journey to the West. Most people in China regard this character as being lovable and friendly, therefore the company decided to design the machine in his likeness.
The robot, which the company has named 好兒女 (translates to “Good Child”), is incredibly functional, able to monitor its owner’s health by measuring their blood pressure, glucose levels, body temperature and more. It also is able to track its owner, sending out location details to loved ones in case of an emergency. Besides its health capabilities the robot also acts as a companion for the elderly. It’s able to hold conversations, and provide a sense of friendship to those who may not regularly be able to get out and participate in social situations.
“What we need most is clear,” explained one elderly woman who had begun interacting with the robot just recently. “We need companionship when our children are away. Robots like this can talk to us and help us to do a lot of stuff. They are like guardians.”
Users are able to interact with the robot via voice, vision and touch, which means virtually anyone can use it, without a learning curve.
While the robot is currently in a beta stage, the company expects to commence production sometime in October of this year. The 140 cm tall, 22.5kg ‘Good Child’ will come in several versions once released, ranging in price from $800 to $3,000. This puts it in a range that’s affordable for most individuals in China as well as other nations.
Household robotics are the future, but whether or not a large portion of these robots will be 3D printed is yet to be seen; however, Jiangxi Investment seems to be on the right track with a low-cost, easy-to-use robot which through the use of 3D printing is able to resemble a character that most elderly individuals within China can relate to.
Let’s hear your thoughts on the robot in the 3D Printed ‘Good Child’ forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the video below to see this machine in action:
Source: http://3dprint.com/80782/3d-printed-robot-chinese/
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Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.
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