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(Graphic: John McCann/M&G)

How to humanise a robot

The robots could fix the street robots, replace the raggedly traffic controllers and fill in the potholes

Jeff, a robot programmed in English and Swahili to aid persons with disabilities in Africa. Photo : Sheila Mwalili

Self-taught Kenyan cousins invent bio-robotic prosthetic limbs

These young robotics wizards are on a mission to give limbs to the disabled

Omeife, the 1.8m female human-like robot, is African by design and has Igbo-like physical attributes.

Africa prepares for age of robots

The first humanoid robot has been launched as have multiple AI research labs on the continent

AI needs a body to develop a sense of self. (Phonlamai Photo/Shutterstock)

Why AI needs a physical body to reach its full potential

Robots will have to learn from scratch, like babies, if they are to have a sense of self and proper social interactions

Mighty tiny: At 15mm long, the RoBeetle is the smallest and lightest crawling microrobot there is. It doesn’t require batteries and weighs in at just 88mg, but can carry more than twice its own weight. Photo: ASML

Beyond batteries: Beetle bots

A tiny robot is vaping methanol to power up its artificial muscles and punch above its weight

Graphic: John McCann

The computer-human relationship is evolving

Many of us already talk to our computers and soon they may suggest better ways for us to work

President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the launch of the Global Commission, which he co-chairs, on the Future of Work Report at the International Labour Organisation’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (GCIS)

The future of work we want

The world of work is changing and with it inequalities will be exacerbated unless a social agenda is in place and education institutions gear up

Justice delayed: Zabalaza Mshengu had also instituted a land claim in 2002 for the land where he was born, which houses Hilton College, but died before it could be settled. (Association for Rural Advancement)

Chip labour: Robots replace waiters in restaurant

The futuristic restaurant concept is the latest initiative in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s push to modernise service

‘The best strategy for educators in any field

Prepare for the time of the robots

A future artificial intelligence-assisted economy means education must get with the programme

Kazuo Hirai

Old dog, new tricks: Sony unleashes ‘intelligent’ robot pet

The 30-centimetre long hound-like machine comes complete with flapping ears and its eyes can show various emotions.

Somaliland’s shift to using iris recognition in a presidential election stems from distrust in the voting system.

Somaliland’s voting technology shows how Africa can lead the world

In an extension of technological leapfrogging, Somaliland will become the first country in the world to use iris recognition in an election

Robots are advancing exponentially while human learning occurs at a much slower pace.

Jobs and robots: Bracing for technological disruptions to come

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and the fear of joblessness have led to developments on what to do to ensure that robots don’t steal jobs.

South Africa has the third-highest government wage bill as a share of GDP compared with 20 major global economies.

Face scanners, robot cleaners to make flying a breeze

Biometric technology has the potential of transforming the experience of airport travel

(John McCann)

Eish, robot: Automation is eating jobs

‘Premature deindustrialisation’ is relegating more and more of our workforce to the service industry

Versatile ‘cockroach’ robots to the rescue

The much-loathed cockroach is the inspiration for a new robot which has been earmarked for a range of uses, including search and rescue missions.

Desco recycles old and redundant IT as well as electronic assets that are earmarked for safe disposal.

Bid to ban autonomous killing machines

Over 10 000 people have signed a letter in favour of banning artificial intelligence weapons that select and engage targets without human intervention

Google robots for the operating theatre

The robots will help minimise trauma and damage to the patient by aiding surgeons in minimally invasive operations, giving operators greater accuracy.

Logic: In the movie I

Dawn of the planet of machines

We’ve all seen it in movies, but can supercomputers really rise up and reign supreme over humanity?

Last week marked the start of the annual United Nations campaign for 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children but token actions by politicians will do nothing to resolve the crisis.

RoboThespian: The first commercial ‘performing robot’

British company Engineered Arts’s creation can hold eye contact with humans, perform "Singin’ in the Rain" and even guess your age.

The old Nokia 2010 came with a range of covers

The Epson Robot gets real

Epson’s prototype for the production-line robot of the future tells us a lot about where automation technology is headed.