Grab Singapore To Test Robot That Collects Orders From Different Restaurants In A Mall

Grab Singapore will be trialling a robot runner that goes around collecting orders from different restaurants in a mall. The robot will deposit the orders at a central location for the convenience of human delivery persons, who otherwise must collect each order separately.

The rationale for the robot is apparently driven by the growing popularity of Grab’s mix-and-match feature, which allows customers to order from different restaurants within a mall and pay only a single delivery fee. For delivery persons, this inevitably means longer times going through malls as multiple locations must be visited.

Fortunately, if Grab’s projections are right, the robot could shave off between five to fifteen minutes of this tedious multi-stop journey. Customers would enjoy faster delivery times and delivery persons could potentially fulfil more orders per day.

The robot itself is quite the marvel. Designed in partnership with Techmetics Robotics, it apparently learns about its surroundings through artificial intelligence (AI) and optimises for maximum efficiency.

It comes with built-in Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensors to detect incoming obstacles, an automated voice message to alert shoppers of its presence, and the ability to scan its immediate proximity in real-time to evade sudden obstacles.

To prevent tampering by passers-by, its food compartment is locked and its combination only given to participating merchants and Grab staff at the collection point.

It all sounds good, but we’ll have to see how it performs in real life. Grab has the same idea – it will trial the robot runner at Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ) Mall in Singapore for a month, from the second week of June onwards, before considering expanding its use to other locations.

COVID-19 Breathalyzer Test To Begin Trial At Singapore-Malaysia Border Soon

Singaporean authorities have recently provisionally approved a COVID-19 breathalyzer test, which is claimed to be capable of determining if an individual is infected with the virus in under a minute. A trial of the device is set to begin soon at the Singapore-Malaysia border, according to a report by Reuters.

The breathalyzer test is developed by the country’s Breathonix Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of the National University of Singapore. The company says that the technology used analyses the chemical compounds of a person’s breath in order to determine whether a person is infected. This is done by blowing into disposable mouthpieces that are connected to the tester, which would be replaced during each test to prevent cross-contamination risks.

Breathonix says that the device has achieved more than 90% accuracy after a series of pilot clinical trials in the country. It is also faster and non-intrusive when compared to the traditional COVID-19 swab test that are regularly used, which makes it ideal for checkpoint-based inspections such as those at borders.

Speaking of which, Reuters says that the company will be working together with Singapore’s health ministry for the upcoming trial for the breathalyzer at the country’s Malaysia-Singapore border. According to Breathonix’s recent post on Facebook, the tester will be deployed at the Tuas checkpoint and is slated to begin “in the next few days”.

It’s also worth noting that the test will be carried out alongside the current compulsory COVID-19 antigen rapid swab test during the trial. Those screened as positive, on the other hand, are required to undergo a confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test, the company added.

Meanwhile, MYEG announced that it has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Breathonix, with the aim of becoming the latter’s exclusive local distribution partner. The company added that it will apply for the requisite regulatory approvals and certifications for the breathalyzer test and associated systems in preparations to have them available commercially in Malaysia.

There has been no announcements or plans on having Breathonix’s COVID-19 breathalyzer test to be used at the Malaysia-Singapore border in Johor at this time. The same can be said for its potential deployment and testing in other local locations as well.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Succumbs To JerryRigEverything Bend Test

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 packs a lot of powerful components on the inside. But it may be a phone that you’d want to handle with care. Because as JerryRigEverything points out in a new durability test video, it bends relatively easily under pressure.

The durability test starts off well enough, with the glass over the display only scratching at Mohs level six hardness. That’s about the expected kind of performance from the new Gorilla Glass Victus. But things start going south for the ASUS ROG Phone 5 from there.

As the process continues to the bend test, we see the antenna line being a weak point that gives way to the bending. For some reason, this causes the vibration motor to malfunction. Another bend killed the display, even when the Gorilla Glass Victus remains intact.

Flipping the ASUS ROG Phone 5 to the back, another bend sees the side USB-C port serve as another weak point. This bend shatters the glass back, showing the discrepancy in durability between the front and back glass. While phone makers usually don’t disclose what sort of glass they use at the back, unlike with what covers the display, in this case it’s probably not the Gorilla Glass Victus, judging from the way it shatters.

Of course, no phone is expected to endure that kind of force under normal use scenarios. But as the ROG Phone 5 is a gaming phone, the chances of it happening are higher. After all, emotions do run high in certain situations while gaming.