عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

New Method Developed to Improve Robot Performance in Helping Patients

Robots are becoming an increasingly important part of human care. (AFP)
Robots are becoming an increasingly important part of human care. (AFP)
TT
TT

New Method Developed to Improve Robot Performance in Helping Patients

Robots are becoming an increasingly important part of human care. (AFP)
Robots are becoming an increasingly important part of human care. (AFP)

Robots are becoming an increasingly important part of human care, according to researchers based in Japan. To help improve the safety and efficacy of robotic care, the scientists have developed a control method that could help them better replicate human movement when lifting and moving a patient.

“In recent years, shortage of caregivers has become a serious social problem as the result of a falling birth rate and an aging population,” said researcher Changan Jiang, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Ritsumeikan University, according to the German news agency.

According to the Phys.org website, the researchers have developed a method to control the movement of a nursing care robot's arm that doesn't produce the harmful movements or frictions usually produced by traditional robots' arms.

"Instead of compensating the friction, the new arm utilizes static friction that could reduce the patients' suffering when moved on their beds", the website reported.

In a related context, a team of researchers at the University of South California has developed a new technique that teaches robots different skills by competing with humans.

"This is the first robot learning effort using adversarial human users," said Stefanos Nikolaidis, a computer science researcher.

"Picture it like playing a sport: if you're playing tennis with someone who always lets you win, you won't get better. Same with robots: If we want them to learn a manipulation task, such as grasping, so they can help people, we need to challenge them," he added.

In his experiment, Nikolaidis used reinforcement learning, a technique in which artificial intelligence programs "learn" from repeated experimentation.

During the study, the researchers found that involving a human factor in teaching the AI system could help the robot acquire further skills by watching a human being completing his task. The experiment went something like this: the robot attempts to grasp an object, while the human observes the simulated robot's grasp. If the grasp is successful, the human tries to snatch the object from the robot's grasp.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Mobile Cinema Brings Tunisians Big Screen Experience

Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP
Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP
TT
TT

Mobile Cinema Brings Tunisians Big Screen Experience

Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP
Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP

Like many of his fellow Tunisians, 23-year-old Amine Elhani has never been to the cinema, but now, thanks to a mobile theater touring the country, he can finally enjoy the big screen.

The bright red truck of CinemaTdour, or "moving cinema", has transformed parking lots and factory grounds in underserved towns and neighbourhoods across the North African country into pop-up theaters.

In the central town of Djemmal, dozens of workers unloaded the expandable truck, easily setting up a fully equipped outdoor movie theater with 100 seats.

"The screen is huge, and the sound effects are amazing," said Elhani, who had so far only watched films on his phone or computer.

He had "never had the chance to go to a movie theater", he told AFP.

"It's a fantastic experience, especially because I'm watching with friends."

Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs.

Recognizing this gap, CinemaTdour was launched in May by private cultural network Agora and nonprofit Focus Gabes, with funding from private donors.

"We wanted a way to reach as many viewers as possible, in a short time and on a limited budget, while offering them an authentic cinematic experience," project director Ghofrane Heraghi told AFP.

Mobile cinemas have long existed in other countries, but Heraghi said CinemaTdour was "unique" for turning a truck into a full-fledged theater.

Without government funding, CinemaTdour relies heavily on partnerships with private companies to cover costs like film rights, maintenance and staffing.

The truck itself was purchased on credit for about one million Tunisian dinars ($315,000), Heraghi said, with annual operating expenses of around 500,000 dinars.

For 10 days in Djemmal, residents could watch films for free thanks to a partnership with German car parts manufacturer Draxlmaier, which has a factory in the town.

Jihene Ben Amor, Draxlmaier's communications manager in Tunisia, said the company wanted to "contribute to the development" of remote and underserved regions where it operates.

For many workers, earning up to 1,000 dinars a month, the cost of tickets and the journey to a main city with a movie theater can be prohibitive.

"Having this cinema right outside their workplace also gives workers a sense of pride and belonging," said Ben Amor.

- 'Social impact' -

After Djemmal, CinemaTdour set up in Hay Hlel, an impoverished neighbourhood of the capital Tunis.

Many children gathered around the pop-up theater, eager for their turn.

Yomna Warhani, 11, was beaming with excitement, anticipating her first ever movie screening.

"I can't wait to see what it's like inside and what films they'll show," she said.

Nejiba El Hadji, a 47-year-old mother of four, said: "It's not just the kids who are thrilled, believe me."

To her, the mobile cinema was a rare source of joy in an otherwise bleak environment.

"We have nothing here, no cultural centers and no entertainment, just the streets," said Hadji.

"People say our kids are lost, but no one does anything about it."

CinemaTdour's two-week stay in Hay Hlel was funded by the World Health Organization, with screenings themed on mental health, smoking and drug abuse, and violence against women.

The shows were tailored for younger audiences as well as for viewers with hearing or visual impairments.

Heraghi, the project head, said that "what drives us is the social impact of culture."

"We want to break stereotypes, shift mindsets, and promote values like social cohesion and community spirit."

In just a few months, CinemaTdour has reached more than 15,000 people, including 7,500 in the southern oasis town of Nefta where a month of free screenings was sponsored by a date exporter.

The project now hopes to secure funding for additional trucks to expand its activities across the country.

But Heraghli has even bigger aspirations, she said, "taking it to Algeria, Libya, and maybe even across Africa".