Karachi: In Pakistan, a robot equipped with artificial intelligence has been developed for the improvement of children suffering from autism, which will be sold in the local market next month, while this robot will be introduced in the international market in a year.
The robot developed in Pakistan, which helps children with autism to improve their mental abilities and make social connections, will be exported from next year. It has also made offers for acquisitions and joint ventures.
A one-of-a-kind robot developed by Pakistani tech startup Haprow is named Tim Tim, a socially assistive robot designed to help and engage with autistic children.
Tim Tim is part of a global study of robot-based interventions around the world that has yielded great results in Pakistan. Building a more inclusive and compassionate society by leveraging engineering technologies in the medical and health sciences. The motto is
According to Mohammad Ali Abbas, founder and CEO of Haprow, Tim Tim – is not just a robot. It is a friend and mentor to children on the autism spectrum. This innovative assistive technology has been designed with a deep understanding of the unique needs of the autistic C. Tim Tim equipped with artificial intelligence technology communicates with children with autism and can move freely. Manufactured locally while the equipment and components are imported.
A special application has been developed to use Tim Tim that can be easily used by caregivers and parents of children with autism. It is basically an artificial intelligence powered robot capable of two-way communication. At present, the communication capability of this robot is limited to two languages, Urdu and English, however, the ability to communicate in multiple languages at the same time can be added.
Tim Tim has a battery life of seven hours during which Tim Tim automatically communicates with movement. It can also be used to socialize with one child individually or to interact with more than one child in a session format.
How has the response been so far?
Tim Tim’s performance is being tested by a team of doctors and therapists, including industry professionals and researchers. Tim Tim was tested on 30 children with autism with very good results. A research paper has been prepared on these results which is being prepared to be published in the International Research Journal. The results of this trial showed that the children with autism had a natural response and the attention of these children was also very focused. Children listened attentively and responded quickly to the robot’s words, learning curiosity and logical thinking were also seen to improve significantly in children with autism who interacted with Tim Tim. Tim Tim easily taught autistic children how to react in different situations thus facilitating their social integration process.
Muhammad Ali Abbas, Founder CEO of Haprow, said that after two years of research and testing, Tim Tim has now been commercially introduced in the market and negotiations are finalized to sell two units to two major medical institutions in Pakistan. It is expected that sales of Tim Tim will start at the local level in a month. The patent of Tim Tim has been applied and the certification from Pakistan Engineering Council is also in the process after completion of which it will be offered for sale in the international market in the next one year.
Muhammad Ali Abbas said that more than one million children in Pakistan are suspected of autism, globally this ratio is higher than Pakistan, so Tim Tim can help improve the communication ability of children suffering from autism in addition to Pakistan. Is. Tim Tim can be customized according to the environment and requirement and its cost is much lower than the existing solutions in the global market, due to which Tim Tim has a lot of potential in the US, Saudi Arabia and UAE markets. Trying to use it.
Muhammad Ali Abbas said that there has been a very good response from two to three large international organizations, they want us to go and work in their countries, these countries include the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where investors are also Tim. Tim is interested but we want to stay and work in Pakistan and develop by working jointly with international organizations or investors.
He said that in the global market, a robot like Tim Tim is being sold for up to five thousand dollars and its content subscription fee is different, the robot manufactured in Pakistan will be sold at 70% lower price with subscription. If sold to institutions, staff training will also be provided and content will be upgraded on an annual basis for a reasonable subscription fee.
So far, five robots have been developed to improve the abilities of children with autism. The Haprow team has the capacity to produce 40 robots per month and around 500 per year. Amelioration of the rupee along with speeding up the process of importing components and other procedures can reduce its cost.
