It's whip fast, obeys commands and does not leave unpleasant surprises on the floor – meet AlphaDog, a robotic response to two of China's burgeoning loves: pets and technology.
The high-tech hound uses sensors and artificial intelligence technology to "hear" and "see" its environment – and can even be taken for walks.
It's really very similar to a real dog
"It's really very similar to a real dog," says Ma Jie, chief technology officer at Weilan Intelligent Technology Corporation, the company behind the product.
The creators, in Nanjing, say their robot dog – which moves at a speed of almost 15 kilometres per hour and spins on the spot like an excited puppy – is the fastest on the market.
With four metal legs it is more stable than a real dog, Ma explains as one of his team swiftly kicks it to prove the point.
"It can predict the friction and height of the ground to adjust its height, adjust the stride frequency, and adapt to the environment," he said, as the robot slowly navigates going up a set of stairs.
Its creators use 5G technology, super-fast internet speeds with immediate reaction times, to make the robot operate autonomously.
Ma studied reinforcement learning – the study of how to reinforce actions through reward or punishment – at the University of Oxford and says he used that knowledge to inform how the AI dog mimics canine habits.
In the first month of sales, more than 1,800 AlphaDogs trotted off the shelves, despite the hefty price tag of 16,000 yuan ($2,445).
"Orders are mostly from computer developers, tech geeks and also kids, who really seem to like it," said Ma.
As China seeks to upskill its workforce, Beijing has been making huge investments in robotics and AI.
Robots are already used to deliver parcels, serve in restaurants, offer information at stations and even take throat swabs for Covid-19 tests.
The Weilan workshop is staffed by young tech enthusiasts, filled with pencil-design sketches and a central obstacle route of stairs and slopes for the machines to clunk over in testing.
Developers there hope future uses of their four-legged friend could benefit the visually impaired.
"To help the disabled is an important developing direction for us," said Ma. "When the robot dog has the function of vision, hearing and dialogue, too, it can easily interact with disabled people, and lead them to the supermarket or the bus."
Future software updates will include the dog "barking" – and beyond that, even add human voices to allow conversations between pet and owner.
There is also a larger "enterprise" dog model, designed for industrial inspections of machinery or pipes.
The next generation of the AlphaDog in pet form could also introduce "personalities" to the dog's toolkit to make them even more canine-like, as well as extend its somewhat brief battery life.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
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At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
The five pillars of Islam
The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scoreline
Switzerland 0
England 0
Result: England win 6-5 on penalties
Man of the Match: Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)
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School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
