Erica, who has a beautiful face and speaks with a synthesised voice, is one of the most advanced and autonomous androids in the world. The human-like robot was created in Japan in 2014 and was developed to be capable of conversational interaction. Since then, a total of four models have been engineered. She is unable to walk, but, in the summer of 2017, Erica (short for Erato Intelligent Conversational Android) was given an upgrade so she could move her arms, along with her head, neck and shoulders. "We are creating this new kind of entity that's not really a person but we can interact with it like a person ... It's not alive, it's there. And you do socially connect with it on a subconscious level. This is why robots that have a human form really are different from other robots. You don't bond in the same way with a vacuum cleaner," says Dylan Glas, guest associate professor at Osaka University, who has spent three years working on Erica. The use of robots in manufacturing is growing. According to the International Federation of Robotics, 1.7 million robots will be in service worldwide by 2020, with the leading robotics countries being China, South Korea, Japan and the US. There's fear in some countries around the world that robotics will eventually replace humans, but, in Japan, hopes are high that human-like robots can solve some of their problems. Japan's population is rapidly declining, and, according to the United Nations, its population is the oldest in the world. One of the suggested solutions is to replace workers with robots and use robots to take care of the elderly. TechKnow travels to Kyoto to meet social robots and the scientists behind them. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/

TechKnow

Social Robots - TechKnow

US paralympic athletic champion Lex Gillette holds the long jump world record. But while his athletic abilities put him at the top of his sport, he often struggles with common tasks most people take for granted. Gillette has been blind since age 8, and navigating a grocery store would be "one of those things where a lot of times the stores will have a customer service area, so I would go to that desk that would require me to have a specific list of items," he says. "There are those times when you want to learn more about the product, learn what kinds of ingredients are in them and maybe want to make a better selection. I'm an athlete so a lot of times I am very particular what goes into my body." Recently, Gillette has replaced the help desk for Aira, a tool which allows him to connect in real time to an agent assistant who could be hundreds of kilometres away from him, but is viewing exactly where he is. Smart glasses with a built-in camera are paired with an app on the user's phone. When they want assistance, they press a button and via cellular service they're connected to an agent. Those currently using this technology are called 'explorers'. "The agent sees the video in real time streaming from the glasses that the explorer is wearing, their GPS location and a full profile on the user," says Erin Cater, the manager of agent assistant operations at Aira. This technology helps vision-impaired people navigate freely, affording them a new level of freedom. Cater says being an Aira agent "means we get to assist the blind with their day-to-day tasks and give them more independence and freedom. Sighted folks kind of take for granted just jumping in the car and running to the grocery store to pick up a simple item and getting back home. Now with the use of Aira they can really incorporate that and just jump on public transportation or an Uber and run to the grocery story without sighted assistance." According to the World Health Organization, approximately 253 million people globally are vision impaired or totally blind, and Aira is just one example of new technologies that are being developed to help even the playing field for this segment of the population. While grocery shopping is just one small task in Gillette's life, he uses this technology for more complex situations like travelling or visiting major cities for the first time. "For me there are times when you want to have that specific information, you want as many details as possible. For example, when I went to Vegas I called up Aira and they were able to navigate me around on the strip - it was an amazing experience because I felt really empowered and I hadn't done anything like that before," says Gillette. As populations age and impairments become more prevalent, TechKnow looks at what technologies are needed to we ensure that people can live independently at home, safer and happier. More from TechKnow on: Twitter - https://Twitter.com/AJTechKnow Website - http://aljazeera.com/TechKnow Subscribe to AJE on YouTube - http://aje.io/YTsubscribe

Vision for the blind: Disabled life enhancements - TechKnow

The devastating effects of climate change are everywhere. Now, the fight to save the planet is taking an innovative turn. What if scientists could offset dangerous greenhouse gas levels by capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and putting it to use? This episode looks at two project that aim to capture CO2 and convert it into useable products. The first would combine basalt and CO2. Basalt is naturally highly reactive with CO2; when the two meet, they undergo a series of exchanges that culminate with the carbon precipitating out as a solid whitish substance, similar to limestone. The second project uses cyanobacteria to convert CO2 into bio products such as fuels, bioplastics, oils and flavourings. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/

The science of capturing carbon - TechKnow

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/

Techknow - Disabled Life Enhancers promo

The vaquita is the world’s smallest cetacean, a miniature porpoise with what some describe as cartoonlike features, and dark smudges around its eyes. The marine mammal lives only in the fertile waters of the Mexico’s Gulf of California. The problem: it shares its habitat with the totoaba, a fish coveted by wealthy Chinese who believe it has mystical medicinal powers. The vaquita are trapped in illegal gillnets set for the totoaba. In this episode, TechKnow looks at the various efforts to save this exquisite animal from extinction. The Mexican Navy has attempted to patrol the waters of the gulf to stop this illegal fishing, but the region’s poor fishermen are easily lured by the big payday. The country’s environmental agencies have declared war on gillnets. Locals make their living off of shrimping, and they prefer gillnets. Replacement nets have been distributed, but old habits are difficult to break. In addition, Techknow boards a Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel. Their two vessels are on 24/7 patrols to protect the vaquita from illegal fishing. More from TechKnow on: Twitter - https://Twitter.com/AJTechKnow Website - http://aljazeera.com/TechKnow Subscribe to AJE on YouTube - http://aje.io/YTsubscribe

Is it too late to save Mexico's vaquita porpoise? - TechKnow

Techknow - Capturing Carbon promo

Techknow - Vanishing Vaquita promo

Coral reefs are the 'rain forests of the sea', prized for their beauty and resources the world over. They are also one of the earth's most vulnerable ecosystems threatened by climate change. And no place better symbolises their importance and their plight than Australia's Great Barrier Reef. TechKnow's Marita Davison traveled to Queensland to explore the scientific efforts to save one of the world's most iconic ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef covers 345,000 square kilometres, roughly the size of Germany, and stretches 2300km in length, nearly equal to the entire coastline of Chile. Because it's a living structure on earth, it can also die. While coral reefs cover less than 2% of the ocean floor, nearly 25% of all marine life depends on them for survival. According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), nearly all coral reefs worldwide will be threatened with death by 2050. So why are coral reefs under threat? "There are multiple stressors that face coral reefs like the great barrier reef," explains Dr. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Director of Global Change Institute. "There's sediments and nutrients flowing down rivers and smothering corals and other organisms. There has been too much fishing in some cases where we’ve knocked down key species. But the real "show-stoppers" now are the global stressors that we're inflicting on the great barrier reefs." More from TechKnow on: Twitter - https://Twitter.com/AJTechKnow Website - http://aljazeera.com/TechKnow Subscribe to AJE on YouTube - http://aje.io/YTsubscribe

Saving the coral reef - TechKnow

The latest World Health Organization data indicates that 1.9 billion people worldwide are overweight, with 600 million considered obese. Sugar, in the form of processed, high-in-sugar foods are largely to blame. Scientists around the world are making a desperate plea to stop an epidemic of obesity. But now, new research goes beyond fat to reveal a risk that could be even greater. TechKnow explores the science of sugar at the Department of Molecular Bioscience School at the University of California-Davis where cutting-edge research is being done. The project, headed by Dr Kimber Stanhope, put healthy young adults in their 20s on a highly controlled sugary diet for 10 weeks and then measured the effects of that added sugar. TechKnow explores the correlation between sugar intake and heart disease in young adults. More from TechKnow on: Twitter - https://Twitter.com/AJTechKnow Website - http://aljazeera.com/TechKnow Subscribe to AJE on YouTube - http://aje.io/YTsubscribe

The science of sugar - TechKnow

Techknow - Saving the Great Barrier Reef promo

From space, the Earth is a big blue planet covered 70 percent in water. However, a closer look reveals that only two and a half percent of that is fresh water, with only one percent being easily accessible to keep our 6.8 billion inhabitants alive and well. On TechKnow, we explore the possible solutions to address water scarcity through science, and explore the effect these new initiatives could have in the larger agricultural areas around the world. We also explore technological advancements that are having a quantifiable impact on conserving fresh water through innovation. More from TechKnow on: Twitter - https://Twitter.com/AJTechKnow Website - http://aljazeera.com/TechKnow Subscribe to AJE on YouTube - http://aje.io/YTsubscribe

The science of water sustainability - TechKnow

Exploring the correlation between sugar intake and heart disease in young adults. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/

TechKnow - The Science Of Sugar promo

Looking at solutions for water scarcity from fog catching nets to water efficient washing machines. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/

TechKnow - The Science Of Water Sustainability promo

In this episode of TechKnow, we explore the regions where people enjoy a longer life of good health, regions known as Blue zones. Acciaroli is one such region. It is part of what is known as the Cilento Coast of Italy, situated 140 km south of Naples. It has a high concentration of centenarians living there. According to researchers from Rome's Sapienza University and the University of California, San Diego, one in every 60 of its residents is at least 90 years old. This Mediterranean region has become known for good health supplemented by diet rich in fresh produce, pasta, olive oil, and rosemary. More from TechKnow on: Twitter - https://Twitter.com/AJTechKnow Website - http://aljazeera.com/TechKnow Subscribe to AJE on YouTube - http://aje.io/YTsubscribe

Longevity: Journey into the blue zone - TechKnow

In this episode of TechKnow, we look into the science of immunotherapy, which involves tricking the body’s immune system into attacking cancerous tumours. Donated T-cells are given an extra gene to make them target specific leukemia cells along with other genes which are disabled to stop them attacking their host. We also explore a promising cancer drug called Pembrolizumab. This drug make the tumour visible to the T-cells. More from TechKnow on: Twitter - https://Twitter.com/AJTechKnow Website - http://aljazeera.com/TechKnow Subscribe to AJE on YouTube - http://aje.io/YTsubscribe - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/

Curing Cancer - TechKnow

A series exploring how the latest scientific and technological discoveries are changing our lives.