Robo-roach to eat up the dirt

By SIMON COLLINS

Every home in First World countries will have its own cockroach-shaped robot to do the housework within 20 years, says a new New Zealand research team.

The three-person team of robotics experts moved en bloc from South Africa's Natal University to open a new research centre at Massey University's Albany campus.

Their new centre, sponsored by Industrial Research Ltd, is a giant leap in New Zealand's expertise in a technology which the three believe will transform our lives.

"Humanoid robots are available in Japan already. They can go round and do all the work in the home," said Professor Glen Bright, Natal's youngest associate professor and, at 35, head of Massey's research centre.

One of his associates, Johan Potgieter, 29, is finishing a doctoral thesis which will enable people to order their robots through the internet to do tasks such as vacuuming and lawnmowing.

The other, Sylvester Tlale, 25, is also completing his doctorate.

The trio said cockroach-shaped robots were replacing TV-style humanoid Machines because they could carry much heavier loads.

Dr Bright said home robots still cost $US100,000 ($238,000), but that would drop dramatically.

"Robot dogs have come down in a few short years from $US10,000 initially," he said. "I bought one for $30 in the US for my son."

"All the mundane jobs in the home and in industry will be replaced by robots. It will allow us to have more leisure time."

The three researchers said automation was "not a feasible project" in South Africa because of its labour laws and huge unemployment.

But in New Zealand they hoped to find businesses which could use their skills, especially in the automation of the agriculture industry.

Dr Bright said New Zealand was lagging behind other countries in adopting robotics because it had no car assembly industry - the main driver of automation overseas.

But another young team at Industrial Research, led by last year's Institute of Management Young Executive of the Year, Dr Richard Templer, 34, has just completed a $1.6 million project to develop commercial robots for the meat industry.

They are now being sold to meatworks in the United States and Australia.

The South African team's arrival has attracted 35 students to Albany this year planning to major in 'mechatronics', which uses computer and electronic technology to control mechanical actions.

The Albany campus has 80 first-year students for its Bachelors of Engineering and Technology, and more than half the 140 students are studying for the four-year degree.

Massey University sciences