Siasun endeavors to make big breakthroughs with newly-launched commercial robot

Chinese company Siasun Robot and Automation Co recently launched a new commercial robot, which the company said was the latest major breakthrough it has achieved in the field of service-providing robotics.

The robot, the Songguo Pro, made its world debut on Aug 18 at the 2018 World Robot Conference in Beijing. It is equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as intelligent laser navigation, smart graphics, intelligent voice interaction, video transmission, cloud computing and big data, according to the company.

Shenyang-based Siasun, which says it is one of the top 10 Chinese robotics and automation companies belonging to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, claims to have the most comprehensive line of robotic products in the world, with industrial parks established in Shenyang, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Qingdao.

The company said that in recent years it has made the "remarkable progress" in research and technological innovation of service and new-generation collaborative robots, and at the same time has maintained fast growth in its existing major traditional dominant sectors including industrial robots, mobile robots and indoor cleaning robots.

The new commercial robot harnesses the latest phase of the development of software and hardware based on industry demand, and company executives said it represents its biggest improvement over traditional commercial robots. The main function of traditional commercial robots is to replace human service staff, performing highly repetitive work.

But Siasun said the knowledge base of the Songguo Pro can be tailored in accordance with the requirements of customers in different industries.

Siasun executives said the Songguo Pro can help visitors to find a company's offices and facilities quickly and get the latest news and product information by providing related promotional videos and text messages through its mobile media interface.

The new robot also has its own daily schedule, just as with any other employee in the company. It can automatically start or stop working based on a preset time, and has the ability to self-charge to ensure efficiency during periods of light workload. Since a more streamlined physical appearance and easier operations are becoming development trends for commercial robots in the age of business intelligence, Siasun said its Songguo Pro has been designed to have both features.

The Songguo Pro weighs 35 kilograms, at least 50 percent lighter than other robots of the same kind, thanks to its improved raw materials and streamlined machine body.

The robot producer said its latest creation also had a height of "optimal comfort" for customers to operate it. Siasun executives said they believe that the attractive and nimble-looking Songguo Pro will liven things up, amid the fast-paced and high-pressured atmosphere of modern business.

As for its setup functions, the commercial robot has a shortcut menu in its interface and comes with a touch screen and a voice operating system. If customers have requirements beyond the robot's handling capacity, they can contact a back office response center by pushing a button to talk to or video chat with service staff.

Commercial robots usually work in public areas, like service halls, which are loud and have large flows of people, and this poses challenges for the robots to correctly recognize voice commands and identify clients.

Siasun says the sound technology used by the Songguo Pro can effectively block out outside noises and accept and execute customer orders accurately. In addition, it employs face recognition technology to identify corporate clients and analyze their files.

haonan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 10/12/2018 page16)