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Mornine will be able to answer questions, respond to instructions and assist people in a natural and humanlike way. Picture: SUPPLIED.
Mornine will be able to answer questions, respond to instructions and assist people in a natural and humanlike way. Picture: SUPPLIED.

Chinese carmaker Chery, best known for its four-wheeled creations, has diversified into two-legged machines.

It has teamed up with Aimoga to create an artificial intelligence (AI) robot named Mornine, which will be used for applications such as working in the motor industry and supporting customers

Robotics is advancing at an exponential rate with new models coming into the market every year that can perform increasingly complex tasks with the help of AI.

Mornine is designed to mimic the shape and movement of a female human with a friendly doll face and an hourglass figure. The face is made from lifelike silicone that can move and mimic human oral and facial muscles. This, combined with its Large Language Model (LLM), means Mornine will be able to answer questions, respond to instructions and assist people in a natural and humanlike way, Chery said.

Apart from showcasing Chery’s engineering capabilities, the humanoid robot can act as a guide, salesperson or receptionist. More advanced future versions could be caregivers, guides, nurses or domestic assistants.

In the first of three phases, Mornine will act as an information provider interacting with customers to answer questions. It will increasingly learn how to interact with humans and learn different accents, conversation styles and the typical needs of customers.

The second phase will see Mornine progress to use more of its advanced capabilities such as visual recognition and autonomous navigation. This will include walking with customers to assist them, using its arms for demonstrations and helping customers with certain tasks.

In the third phase the robot will take what it has learnt to become a competent assistant to its human owners. This can include services such as child minding and education, assisting elderly customers with home tasks or cleaning and cooking for its owner.

“In time, we see a potential market for Chery Humanoid Robots to help customers with menial tasks and assist those with physical challenges to enjoy a full and rewarding life,” said Chery SA deputy GM Tony Liu.

Chery has not said when Mornine will enter commercial use.

droppad@businesslive.co.za


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