Meet SmWoef the robot dog
AS TECHNOLOGY develops at a rapid rate, robots are becoming a tool most corporates are looking at to ensure accuracy and speed in analysing data.
The latest robot to come from the University of Pretoria, SmWoef, is at the 2022 World Engineering Education Forum and the Global Engineering Deans’ Council Conference being held in Cape Town.
The International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (Ifees), based in Washington DC, hosts the conference in different locations each year and Cape Town is the first African host.
The SA Society for Engineering Education (Sasee), as a member of Ifees, is co-hosting this event with the University of Pretoria and Central University of Technology, in conjunction with the SA Engineering Deans’ Forum.
Professor Sunil Maharaj from the University of Pretoria is the general conference chair.
The conference was to have takenplace two years ago, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was postponed, and is now running since Monday up to today.
SmWoef is on exhibition at the conference to educate conference delegates about available technology and its possibilities.
Speaking to IOL, Jordan Mostert, a first instructor for the civil engineering department at the University of Pretoria, said the robotic dog was manufactured and imported from China and is an A1 model.
Mostert said SmWoef is being used for engineering applications.
“We want to see if we can use him for crime scenes. He is going for ethical training and investigate a simulation of actual corpses and see what kind of data – visual, atmospheric and DNA can be collected,” Mostert said.
There were ongoing talks with the university’s electrical department for an electronic nose, he said.
“SmWoef already has vision cameras in the front so he can lock on to a subject and follow it. So, if we can mount the electronic nose, he can follow the scent of a chemical.”
He said recently, SmWoef went on an expedition to the ZZ2 farm orchards to determine whether he could analyse data regarding its avocados.
“He walked through the orchards and, equipped with his GPS, visual senses and 3D scanner, he could see all the avos, the health conditions of the trees, how thick the barks were. It was a successful expedition,” he said.
Mostert said they would also like to use the robotic dog in pavement analysis using laser technology and while he may be small in stature, SmWoef can withstand tough terrains.
SmWoef was named by the Dean for Civil Engineering at the university, Professor Wynand Steyn, and the Sm stands for smart.
SmWoef can flip, dance and stand on his hind legs like a real dog.
In 2019, the university employed its first client service robot to use in any university library in Africa called Libby.
Libby weighs 19kg and at 90cm is tall enough to interact with visitors in wheelchairs.
Libby has over 60 sensors, cameras, and software integrations which enable her to receive and process various commands and requests from those visiting Pretoria University’s Merensky Library on its Hatfield Campus.
In 2021, the University of Pretoria’s Health Science Faculty welcomed a mobile robot named Stevie to improve treatment of patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stevie, employed at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital’s ICU was named after Struggle icon, Steve Biko.
Stevie assists with the treatment of patients through instant live communication between German and South African ICU teams.