SCMP Originals
Asia Tech

Can we build robots to beat loneliness and be our friends?

Meet Qoobo and Bocco, two Japanese robots designed for companionship and human interaction. Yonden Lhatoo weighs in on whether they stand the test of friendship.

April 6, 2019
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Sony has released a robotic dog that is meant to do scheduled checks on family members who are at home alone. Starting next month, the Japanese electronics giant plans to partner with home security...00:46
Asia Tech
Warning: “robo-pup” on duty
January 23, 2019
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Chinese tech giant Alibaba has unveiled what it calls a hotel of the future in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Open to the public since December 2018, the 290-room hotel is called FlyZoo, a name...01:31
Asia Tech
Hotel of the future
January 23, 2019
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For more on this: https://sc.mp/7xbm ...01:31
Asia
India’s Chandrayaan-3 rover put in ‘sleep mode’
September 6, 2023
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Read more about Japan: https://sc.mp/ant4 ...02:43
Japan
Hi-tech help for tourists at one of Tokyo’s busiest rail stations
August 1, 2023
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A Japanese robotics start-up has developed spider-like robots to inspect and maintain the country’s sewer pipes as the country grapples with a labour shortage in the industry. Tmsuk created the...01:43
Robots
Robot spiders could soon be inspecting Japan’s sewers
December 7, 2022
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Liang Kaiyu lost his leg in an explosion two years ago and used his skills as an engineer to make enhancements to his prosthetic limb. After the accident, in January 2020, he was determined to...01:14
Asia Tech
Amputee upgrades his own prosthetic
May 18, 2022
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In the South Korean capital Seoul, robots have been deployed as teaching assistants at 300 nursery schools and childcare centres. They guide young children to dance, sing songs, recite stories and...03:36
South Korea
Robots teach nursery school kids
November 25, 2021
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The Covid-19 pandemic has killed millions of people worldwide, disrupted international trade patterns and greatly reduced international travel. However, there is another crisis that has happened...06:01
Asia Tech
The global semiconductor shortage explained
August 2, 2021
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As part of China’s attempt to rein in the Wild West of the internet, Beijing has been tightening its grip on cybersecurity. And under fire are big tech companies, like ride-hailing giant Didi. A...07:30
Cybersecurity
Why China is tightening grip on cybersecurity
July 15, 2021
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Animoca Brands, a tech company recently valued at more than US$1 billion, is pioneering the integration of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, in video games. NFTs are a blockchain-recorded ledger of who...04:42
Asia Tech
Animoca Brands' big bet on video game NFTs
June 13, 2021
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Hong Kong-based engineering company Hanson Robotics is making plans to mass produce humanoid robots following its successful creation of Sophia, which became world famous when it was unveiled in...04:04
Robots
Hong Kong and the rise of the robots
January 26, 2021
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Researchers in Taiwan have designed a rapid Covid-19 testing method that they say can provide results within three minutes. The device could be used by people on their own, because very little...02:15
Coronavirus pandemic: All stories
Biochip machine tests for Covid-19 in minutes
October 15, 2020
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China launched two new satellites into Earth orbit on December 16, 2019, bringing its Beidou navigation system a major step closer to full deployment. China’s Beidou navigation network is...02:22
Space
China finishes core network for GPS rival Beidou
December 18, 2019
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Japanese airline group ANA Holdings will launch an “avatar travel service” that will allow people to interact with distant places without leaving their own homes.  ...01:06
Japan
Japan’s virtual travel robots ready for take-off
December 13, 2019
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Frederic Pierucci, author of The American Trap, is a former French executive for Alstom who spent time in prison in the US on bribery charges.  ...05:53
US-China tech war
Has The American Trap caught Huawei?
May 31, 2019
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What does it take to maintain loving marriages that span decades? These 20 couples, aged 60 years or older, shared love secrets at a mass wedding04:59
Hong Kong society
The secrets to a long-lasting marriage
November 30, 2024
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Amid a boom in generative AI and the rise of apps like DeepSeek and ChatGPT, China’s adult toys industry is the latest to capitalise on the global trend. WMDoll, one of the biggest sex doll...05:38
DeepSeek
Chinese sex doll makers embrace AI
March 6, 2025
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As leaders gather for the annual ‘two sessions’ meetings, Beijing faces a tough task to boost the nation’s economy amid deflation risks and a real estate slump. Pledges have been made to stimulate consumption and jobs, but Shanghai business owners say targeted measures are needed  03:22
Two Sessions 2025 (Lianghui)
The small business concerns behind China’s ‘two sessions’
March 5, 2025
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The international event set for March 4-9 at the Kai Tak Sports Park will be the first sport’s first ranking tournament to be held in Hong Kong since 198901:52
World Snooker
Hong Kong to host snooker’s World Grand Prix
March 2, 2025
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PapaHome has over 10,000 furniture and home decoration items on display, allowing customers to get an up-close look before purchasing online01:37
Taobao
Taobao’s first physical store in Hong Kong
February 22, 2025
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Sri Lanka is one of the world’s largest tea-producing countries and its economy is highly dependent on the tea industry. In 2024, the tea sector contributed 11 per cent to the island’s total...13:08
Eat Drink Asia
What makes Sri Lanka the tea island of the world?
February 22, 2025
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Volunteer groups say 49 pet dogs died after ingesting poison in 2024, a tenfold jump from the previous year05:10
Animal welfare in Hong Kong
Dog poisonings on the rise in Hong Kong
February 22, 2025