Bionic arms at a fraction of the cost of high-end prosthetics were among the innovations at the Expand North Star conference for start-up businesses on the sidelines of Gitex in Dubai.
The conference is the first time entrepreneurs and emerging businesses have been given their own arena at Dubai Harbour to show-off innovations to attract regional funding and new product launches.
South Korean robotics firm Mand.ro promises to revolutionise the field of prosthetic limbs by offering 3D-printed devices that can be controlled by sensors, so there is no need for an expensive surgical implant.
The goal is by the year 2050 to have a team of robots play soccer against the human World Cup champions and win
Dennis Hong,
a UCLA professor and director of RoMeLa
Ultrasonic sensors from a band worn on the forearm continuously send sound pulses into the muscle tissue, which then relays commands to the prosthetic hand triggering movement in real time.
“Usually if someone lost their arm and they still have muscle there, we can attach sensors on to the arm to control the prosthetic,” said Sangho Yi, founder and chief executive of Mand.ro.
“It captures the electromyography signal easily and the muscle contracts.”
Mr Yi said the company manufactures limbs using 3D-printing and customises the bionic limb using precise scanning and modelling.
“There is no surgical implant at all,” he said.
More than 600 people are currently using the device in South Korea, and a further 100 patients have been fitted with the bionic hand at a clinic in Jordan.
One of them is Raphael, a Kenyan police officer who lost his hand when he was attacked with a machete while he was trying to make an arrest.
Since having a myoelectric hand fitted, he has been able to return to active duty.
Affordable replacement
Mand.ro can create a custom made replacement hand for just $4,000, compared to usual costs of up to $100,000 for a robotic prosthesis.
It could provide a solution for areas hit by natural disaster or conflict, where crush injuries are common.
“We had an office in Jordan, so people from Syria, Iraq and Palestine could visit us in Amman so that we fit them for the prosthetics,” said Mr Yi.
“Unfortunately, because of Covid, we had to close.
“We would like to expand our work in the Middle East and other countries, as there's a big demand for this kind of prosthetic.”
Expand North Star hosts exhibitors from across the world, offering plenty of new applications for the latest technology, including artificial intelligence.
DeepBrain AI uses generative artificial intelligence to create humanoid avatars that can integrate to commands, in a similar way to ChatGPT or Google Bard.
“An avatar will never complain or ever lose its smile,” said Michael Jung, chief financial officer and head of business development at DeepBrain AI.
AI newsreading avatars
DeepBrain AI has already distributed the technology to the hospitality sector and in education where video avatars have been delivering lectures in English.
TV networks are also snapping up the technology, to replace human newsreaders with computer generated humanlike avatars.
A 10-minute video presented by a generated avatar costs around $30.
“The media has a wider coverage than ever to share their content, and not only on television, but they cannot use the same budget,” said Mr Jung.
Visitors to the show were offered a look at how robots are fast developing to replace manual tasks undertaken by humans – including in the world of sport.
Footballing robots
A full-sized humanoid robot named Artemis – which stands for Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Improved Stability – developed by UCLA’s Samueli School of Engineering, shows how a team of machines may one day take on the World Cup-winning football team.
At almost 1.5 metres tall and weighing 38kg, Artemis can run at 2.1 metres a second – making it the fastest walking robot developed to date.
It’s capable of walking on rough and unstable surfaces, as well as running and jumping and remains steady even when strongly shoved, say developers.
“For robots to be useful in everyday life, we believe that the role is to be human shape and size because this environment is designed for humans,” said Dennis Hong, a UCLA professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the director of RoMeLa – Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory.
“It's the third human robot in the world that actually can run, meaning that both feet lift off the ground.
“There's a competition called Robocup International Autonomous Robot soccer competition.
“The goal is by the year 2050 to have a team of robots play soccer against the human World Cup champions and win.”
An earlier version called Thor – Tactical Hazardous Operations Robot – was designed specifically for disaster relief applications at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.
Artemis is made from aluminium, carbon fibre and titanium, with AI used to develop the mechanisms to drive the legs – a process called topology optimisation.
“We developed this robot for that particular application where it can drive a car, climb upstairs, open doors, close valves and eventually rescue people and fix things,” said Mr Hong.
“We want to build better arms and hands for manipulation, and you cannot really make it fall down so it's stable.
“And we're only using 40 per cent of our power right now. This is just the beginning.”
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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John Heminway, Knopff
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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Rating: 3/5
