Looking like a character straight out of the epic space opera Star Wars, the ‘droid’ quickly stole the show. Photo: Pexels
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) handed over the results of the 2022 census on October 10 to president Cyril Ramaphosa.
What made this event unique was that it was co-presented by a robot named Melokuhle.
Resembling a character straight out of the epic space movie, Star Wars, the ‘droid’ quickly stole the show.
At the end of the Census 2022 report, it asked the president if he could be its friend and if they could dance together.
Melokuhle was said to be proof of South Africa’s increase in technology and spearing forward with the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).
However, this model of robot is used for a very different purpose overseas.
As opposed to partaking in highly important national events, in countries like Japan, its purpose it to greet restaurants patrons or guests as hotel lobbies.
According to ‘Reuters’, when the Covid-19 pandemic was starting to engulf the world in May of 2020, Tokyo hotels which were used to quarantine those who had symptoms of the virus were met with robot greeters in the lobbies.
“Please, wear a mask inside. I hope you recover as quickly as possible...I pray the spread of the disease is contained as soon as possible. Let’s join our hearts and get through this together,” the robots were quoted as saying at the time.
Other such robots were said to clean and disinfect areas. In South Korea, such machines even greet, serve and entertain individuals at eateries.
But, Melokuhle is still novel in the country with its wide-eyed stare and witty personality.
IOL NEWS