Japanese Firm Develops Robot that Can Read Body Language

A woman tries out Omron Corp.'s table tennis-playing robot. (Reuters file photo)
A woman tries out Omron Corp.'s table tennis-playing robot. (Reuters file photo)
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Japanese Firm Develops Robot that Can Read Body Language

A woman tries out Omron Corp.'s table tennis-playing robot. (Reuters file photo)
A woman tries out Omron Corp.'s table tennis-playing robot. (Reuters file photo)

Japan’s Omron company has developed a robot, FORPHEUS, that can read body language and even play table tennis.

The Phys.org website cited Omron’s Researcher Keith Kirsten who said that this robot will work to understand your mood, and to predict the next move you will make it during the game.

He also explained: “We don’t sell robots that can play table tennis, but we are trying to use FORPHEUS to show how technology can take the place of humans.”

The new robot was among many other electronic devices that were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week in Las Vegas. The show highlighted the concept that robots can become like humans by acquiring "emotional intelligence" and the ability to "empathize."

For its part, Japanese automaker Honda unveiled a new electronic system dubbed "Empower, Experience, and Empathy" to operate robots including the new 3A18.

The robot can "show compassion for humans through many facial expressions," Honda said in a statement.

"This new technology is still in its initial stages, but it is promising for many areas," said Patrick Moorhead, a technology expert at Moore Insight and Strategy.

There is a lot of interest in Japan in this type of technology because of the insufficient number of people who can take care of the elderly, he stated.

"If you do not have friends, the best alternative is to have a friendly robot, especially since introverted individuals can feel more comfortable talking to it,” he added.



Syria Seeks EU Help to Battle Massive Wildfires

FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
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Syria Seeks EU Help to Battle Massive Wildfires

FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

Syria’s minister of emergencies and disaster management on Tuesday requested support from the European Union to battle wildfires that have swept through a vast stretch of forested land.

The fires have been burning for six days, with Syrian emergency crews struggling to bring them under control amid strong winds and severe drought.

Neighboring countries Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye have already dispatched firefighting teams to assist in the response.

“We asked the European Union for help in extinguishing the fires,” minister Raed al-Saleh said on X, adding Cyprus was expected to send aid on Tuesday, AFP reported.

“Fear of the fires spreading due to strong winds last night prompted us to evacuate 25 families to ensure their safety without any human casualties,” he added.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) office in Syria, the fires impacted “some 5,000 persons, including displacements, across 60 communities.”

An estimated 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) of forest and farmland -- more than three percent of Syria’s forest cover -- have burned, OCHA told AFP.

At least seven towns in Latakia province have been evacuated as a precaution.

Efforts to extinguish the fires have been hindered by “rugged terrain, the absence of firebreaks, strong winds, and the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance”, Saleh said.

With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall.

In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said Syria had “not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.”