Daily Archives: August 29, 2022

As the world emerges from the global pandemic, retail is growing at levels not seen in the last two decades. Retail sales grew by 7 percent in 2020 and by over 14 percent in 2021, which is in stark contrast to the 3.7 percent annual growth between 2010 and 2019.

The increased demand for retail has put a strain on supply chains and retail operations worldwide. As a result, retailers and stakeholders are turning to automation solutions such as mobile robotics for operational ease.

According to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, worldwide commercial robot revenue in retail stores will have a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 25 percent from 2022 to 2030 and exceed $8.4 billion by 2030.

Adhish Luitel, senior analyst, supply chain management and logistics at ABI Research, says: There is the continued adoption of diverse technologies in the retail space.

We can see incoming retail solutions within various points of the retail value chain, such as order fulfillment, in-store inventory check, coordination between store associates, or last-mile delivery. These solutions can directly or indirectly impact the wider supply chain management to retailers for the better.

Technologies such as contactless checkout, in-store mobile robotics, wearables, and smart carts are getting a lot of traction, with major retailers adopting these incoming solutions to enhance operations and contribute to a more streamlined supply chain management.

Companies like Zebra Technologies, Simbe Robotics, and Seoul Robotics have been providing various automation solutions such as wearable computers, handheld devices, LiDAR devices, and in-store robots that can be used for inventory scanning, floor care, or security purposes.

While companies such as Mashgin and Cloudpick offer frictionless checkout in stores by combining proprietary computer vision, deep learning, sensor fusion, and edge computing technologies.

Luitel says: Given their obvious operational benefits of enhanced customer experience, streamlined task/employee management, price management, or automated item monitoring, the impact of these technologies on the wider supply chain management for retailers cant be understated.

Beyond enabling rapid fulfillment/restocking or automated inventory management, these technologies also provide additional data points for precise demand and procurement planning.

This can also lead to an enhanced omnichannel presence for retailers and stronger partnerships with suppliers, shippers, distribution center operators, and other supply chain stakeholders through enhanced communication and synergy.

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Revenues from robotics implemented in retail stores to cross $8.4 billion by 2030 - Robotics and Automation News

Aug 29 (Reuters) - North American companies snapped up a record number of robots in the first half of this year as they struggled to keep factories and warehouses humming in the face of an extremely tight labor market and soaring compensation costs.

Companies ordered a record 12,305 machines in the second quarter valued at $585 million, 25% more units than during the same period a year ago, according to data compiled by the industry group the Association for Advancing Automation. Combined with a strong first quarter, the North American robotics market notched its best first half ever, the group said.

"Companies need to get product out the door and so they need" new automation, said Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation, known as A3.

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Eaton Corporation PLC (ETN.N), for example, is working on 150 different robot installations over the next year and a half in its electrical equipment factories in North America.

The incentives for companies to pursue a robot-enhanced workforce are obvious in the current tight labor market. With nearly two open jobs for every unemployed worker, employers are bidding up wages: Total U.S. labor costs - covering wages and benefits - surged 5.1% year over year in the second quarter, the most since the Labor Department began tracking it in 2001.

Yet if robots are designed to make workers more productive, that is not evident so far: Those thick order books come as U.S. productivity fell in the second quarter at its steepest pace on an annualized basis since the government began reporting it in 1948.

One possible explanation is the distortions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis saw huge shifts in the workforce, including an exodus of workers during the darkest days of the crisis who are only slowly filtering back into jobs. It is normal for workers to be less productive if they are moving into new careers or changing jobs in their existing fields.

Moreover, much of the latest employment gains have come in lower-productivity service sectors like leisure and hospitality, which also may mask the improvements robots may be making elsewhere.

A3s Burnstein said it also takes time for companies to fully implement new machinery to maximize its potential. "Theres a learning curve," he said.

This is especially true in sectors adopting entirely new technologies, such as the auto industry's turn toward electric vehicles. A3 found nearly 60% of the robots ordered in the second quarter went to automotive companies.

Mike Cicco, CEO of FANUC America, the U.S. division of the Japanese robotics manufacturer, estimates half of his industrys sales to carmakers are currently earmarked for new electric-vehicle factories.

"This is all investment for plants that wont be up and running for several years now," he said, so it is not surprising that those robots are not yet contributing to higher productivity.

The rush to add robots is part of a larger upswing in investment as companies seek to keep up with strong demand, which remains elevated even as the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates to rein in inflation.

Knapheide Manufacturing Co is among companies investing in new robots including a new production line for flatbed truck bodies slated to go into its Quincy, Illinois, factory this year. The new line will use robots to feed steel parts through an automated welding process.

Mike Bovee, the engineer overseeing the installation, said the new robots should help ease a chronic shortage of welders. Knapheide currently recruits those workers from as far away as Texas.

"Well always need as many welders as we can find," he said, but they can be redeployed to other parts of production at the 1,500-worker plant.

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Reporting by Timothy AeppelEditing by Nick Zieminski

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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North American companies send in the robots, even as productivity slumps - Reuters

Discover what tomorrow may hold for the future of robots, drones and droids of all kinds

Look to your favorite sci-fi movie and youll get a good sense of how Hollywood sees robots of the future: Most communicate with us. Some even look like us. But the future of robots doesnt just lie in more lifelike, human and helpful drones, droids and automatons, which well increasingly encounter at every turn. It also lies in smaller, smarter and more self-aware high-tech helpers that will aid and assist with nearly every facet of everyday life.

Alone, robots designed for industrial purposes are projected to be a $35.68 billion market by 2029, per Fortune Business Insights. The market for medical robots is anticipated to trail closely behind. And other areas of robotics, such as self-driving delivery robots, aerospace robotics and hospitality robots, are poised to be billion-dollar sectors.

Like the metaverse (essentially a digital world), real robots will play a bigger role in our lives in the coming years, thanks to continuing advancements in robotics. Likewise, theyll also continue to provide technological and productivity gains in an ever-growing assortment of industries. Artificial intelligence (AI) and the deep learning technology that powers robotswhich attempts to mimic the human brains thought processes (hence AIs ability to be biased)will be ongoing game changers, says Martin Ford, author of Rule of the Robots: How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Everything.

As he describes it, these advancements are poised to transform virtually every facet of the global economy. In fact, the main argument in my book is that AI will eventually become so ubiquitous that it will evolve into a utility not unlike electricity, Ford points out. [It will be] a resource that can be easily and inexpensively deployed to solve almost any problem.

Before we take a closer look at what the future of robots holds, lets start with a definition of robot. Any automatically operated machine that replaces human effort is a robot.

Robots can resemble human beings, but dont necessarily have to, and are capable of taking on any appearance and performing all types of functions. Humans or computers can program them, but they can also possess their own AI software routines that allow them to ingest and process information, and make decisions, as a living creature might. Some are even capable of self-learning through machine learning, a type of technology that allows robots (or computers of any kind, really) to get smarter with and learn from each interaction.

While classic TV shows like The Jetsons and movies like Star Wars often conjure images of helpful robot maids and bleeping droids, real robots come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, you may already have adopted some in the form of interactive pets that you can play with or robot vacuums capable of self-navigating through your home.

Lest you think youll escape the robot revolution, experts suggest the machines will be ubiquitous in the coming years. Findings by Pew Research Center indicate that by 2025, AI and robotics will be integrated into nearly every aspect of most peoples daily lives. Marc Prensky, director of the Global Future Education Foundation and Institute, posits that within just a few years, the future of robotics and AI will include a world where robots are as omnipresent as cell phones. Nilofer Merchant, co-founder of The Intangible Labs, further suggests that most fundamentals of daily life, from grocery shopping to driving, will also be automated by this time.

As you might imagine, the future of robots holds potential upsides and downsides. Like many tools of technology, what we get out of robots will be a direct reflection of how we choose to use them. The following are just a few benefits and drawbacks of a reliance on robots.

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Experts expect robot technology to grow by leaps and bounds. Well see advances in robots ability to use natural language processing solutions, allowing them to process and interpret conversations more accurately. Well see major gains in AI and machine learning, with experts anticipating that more self-aware and self-learning devices will hit the market.

Computer vision, which empowers high-tech devices to spot, recognize and process still and video images as the human eye would, should also improve robotic performance. Droids of all kinds are also steadily enjoying access to better-performing self-navigation capabilities, requiring less input and guidance from humans to get around. Many companies, in fact, now offer the ability to train robots on digital simulations, allowing them to process millions of data points and improve their artificial intelligence and machine learning with each passing instance.

In other words, tomorrows robots wont just think, act and respond more naturally. Theyll also enjoy quicker response times and better fine-motor skills.

Come 2050, interacting with robots of all kinds will feel like second nature, and well increasingly encounter them at every turn. Theyll take on the role of bartenders, valets, chauffeurs and countless other professions. Thats before you consider their growing presence in the workplace as well, with warehouses and shipping centers increasingly being staffed by helpful droids.

Devices like robots that use AI and machine learning to boost productivity and performance are crucial to the workplace of the future, according to Ford. Looking ahead, their importance to organizations [of any and all kinds] will only grow, he says.

Those that are slow to adopt these new technologies and make the most of them are almost certain to fall behind competitively and decline in relevancy in coming years, Ford suggests. In contrast, he says, those organizations that act now have an opportunity to enjoy a significant first-mover advantage.

Its an almost certain bet that youll see more smart home technologythink robot vacuums, robot mops and automated lawnmowersappearing in the next several years. You can expect to see more robots popping up around offices, on factory floors, in industrial centers and at retail outlets across the nation. Thats because robots are increasingly capable of helping lighten humans workload, dont need lunch or rest breaks and are often capable of producing more predictable results with less downtime and error.

Mind you: This may mean that certain elements of todays workforce, such as factory line workers who perform the same task repeatedly throughout the day, may find themselves in danger of being replaced by drones and droids. But that doesnt mean humans are looking at a future of fewer jobs. Instead, the workforce will experience a shift.

Well need more skilled workers to program, maintain and operate all these robots, and well need data scientists and researchers to help them process, analyze and interpret information. Overall, robots will take over for humans in performing dangerous, burdensome or redundant tasks. At the same time, theyll also create new opportunities for those interested in making the most of this exciting new technology.

And dont forget the many new and exciting applications for robotics: allowing a surgeon to use a remotely controlled arm to operate on a patient from thousands of miles away in real time, or helping an art teacher, using a similar device, instruct students in the art of drawing or painting using distance-learning solutions.

In effect, the future of robots will encompass all sorts of forward-looking developments, such as surgical robots and telehealth technologies, and all manner of innovations that help support companies in every field. Havent yet had a package delivered to your mailbox by a drone or a self-driving truck? The day is rapidly approaching when you will.

As exciting as AI-powered helpers like robots are, according to Citrixs Work 2035 study, the answer is a resounding no. Robots and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning will not replace humans. And AI isnt poised to take over your job.

Rather, robots will serve as everyday partners in crime, making working with these high-tech solutions more of a collaboration than a takeover. In fact, robots are expected to make us smarter, more productive and increasingly efficient.

Moreover, robots can help make the work of myriad professionals and industries simpler, faster and more cost-efficient. In fact, todays most advanced robots can do everything from sprint through rugged terrain, capturing data and information, to patrol for criminals like police dogs made of metal. (If you live in Massachusetts, you might also spot Boston Dynamicss robot patrol dogs keeping police company.) Robots may soon play very prominent roles as household helpers, co-workers and even public security and education providers.

At the moment, the worlds most advanced robot appears to be a realistic humanoid known as Ameca, which can blink its eyes, smile and mimic human expression and interaction. Going forward, humans will continue to deploy humanlike robots in increasing numbers and with increasingly realistic stylings, though were still many years away from those that will be indistinguishable from real people.

Put simply: While the future of robots may not look exactly like R2-D2 or WALL-E, odds are that youll soon be welcoming them with open arms.

Robots, and the rise of the AI and machine-learning technologies that power them, represent the dawning of the next Industrial revolution, suggests Oren Etzioni, CEO of the Allen Institute for AI. As he points out, The speed, power and breadth of [this] technologys impact across society will be unprecedented.

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The Future of Robots: How Robots Could Change the World - Reader's Digest

Saturday's Dow Red Stick Rumble pitted 20 FIRST Robotics competition teams from Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi against each other as they showed off their 120-pound robots in a bid to win the Red Stick Rumble Trophy.

The event included 14 teams from Louisiana.

FIRST is a global robotics community preparing young people for the future and the world's leading youth-serving nonprofit advancing STEM education.

The competition, sponsored by Dow Chemical, has been held annually since 2013 and has brought in thousands of students from across the South, inspiring them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and robotics. Attendees can watch the competition and tour the Red Stick Rumble pits where all the teams work to prepare and repair their robots.

Theres nothing like seeing students excited about STEM. Classroom learning is important, but students who are part of a robotics team are learning real world skills like design, manufacturing, and programming that cant be taught through a textbook or a lecture, said Michael Simmons, director of the Denham Springs High School STEM and Robotics Center.

The event is free and open to the public. Food will be sold at the Denham Springs High School Snack Bar. More information can be found at http://www.dsstem.org/rsr.

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20 teams compete with 120-pound robots in 9th Dow Red Stick Rumble at Denham Springs High - The Advocate

BRISTOL At the office of MOVIA Robotics, a white robot the size of a small kitchen appliance with perfectly spherical neon blue eyes and an upturned mouth guides me through a series of activities.

We start with a game the robot, named Kebbi, which looks like it could have come out of the film Wall-E, directs me to tap the falling snowflakes on an iPad screen and melt them with my fingers. Good job, Emilia! said Kebbi.

Then we move to a lesson on numbers. I am to count by fives, dragging each little circle with the number 5, 10, 15, 20 to the center of the screen in the right order.

Kebbi is one of four robots the company has programmed to work with children with special education needs and, in particular, children with autism. The robots are used in schools, group homes and therapists offices to help children with their social skills and encourage them through school lessons.

Tim Gifford, founder, president and chief scientist of the company, said that the company came out of his research into how human behavior and human interaction with the world can be used to inform the way that people program artificial intelligence.

Gifford said that his interest in using psychology to program the behavior of robots goes back to his time at Syracuse University, when he was a student in the computer science department with a minor in psychology. At UConn, he ran a robotics lab in the psychology department. Gifford said he began thinking about the use of robots in teaching neurodiverse children after speaking with his wife, a teacher.

She was telling me about the large numbers of kids that were presenting with autism and how there wasnt really a tool other than one-on-one interactions and its just not possible, particularly in the public schools, he said. And so I thought if we can get this out of the lab and into the classroom, that could really make a difference.

Gifford gathered researchers at UConn and began working on the idea in 2008 after receiving a grant from the National Institutes of Health. He launched MoviaRobotics in 2010. He works with a team of software engineers and specialists in special education, and experts in early childhood, to develop the software. He said they studied learning techniques like Applied Behavior Analysis a type of one-on-one therapy that helps autistic children with social skills and embodied cognition, which examines the role of the bodys interactions with the world and how that contributes to thought processes.

Gifford said it was important that their robots constantly drew children in and made them want to engage.

Its really important that it not only works one time and the child enjoys it, but that it continues to be effective, said Gifford.

In addition to academic help Kebbi can guide students through lessons on counting, days of the week, colors and letters of the alphabet it also teaches these social skills. For example, one lesson about staying focused on work presents children with a drawing of a student who is studying at a desk and another of a student holding a paper airplane. Kebbi asks the child to point out which student is staying focused and which isnt.

The software also allows teachers to create individualized plans for each student based on their abilities, and collects data on each student and produces a report on how the student is performing. According to Gifford, children who have worked with the robots have improved their skills

Gifford said the robots are currently being used in more than 70 schools including Bristol, Wallingford, Hartford, Middletown and Suffield public schools as well as with families, in therapy offices and in organizations for people with intellectual disabilities.

In addition to pre-programmed lessons, Gifford said that a teacher or a therapist can also program the robot to say specific things or engage in a dialogue with a child. Gifford said the robot can also be used to guide a child through de-escalation techniques, like taking deep breaths and counting to ten.

The therapist can actually use the robot to lead the child through different discussions and interactions in a dynamic way.

Movia doesnt build robots the company buys them from manufacturers in China, Taiwan and Japan, and then programs them with their software. The important thing for the robots, Gifford said, is that they are sturdy enough to withstand being handled by a child at an affordable cost for parents or school districts. He said that they also prefer robots that have some human features, like faces and movable limbs.

Muniba Masood, the CEO of Movia, said that children tend to respond to the robot with tenderness and to form relationships with the robot quickly.

They tend to be gentler. They tend to be kinder because of the physicality and because the robot can say their name and they know the robot by name, she said. A lot of times what we hear and see is, individuals with autism have difficulty with human interaction and eye contact. With the robot being so consistent and nonjudgmental and repetitive and almost calming in its tone and effect, that really lends itself to being a great intervention.

The cost of a Kebbi with software is about $2,400 for the first year for a family, or $5,000 for an institution. After that, the cost drops to about $1,000 per year for a family. Gifford said that the company also provides an hour to an hour and a half of training for the teachers or the parents who will use it.

Gifford said the company is working on developing a Spanish-speaking version of the software, something they have received requests for. He said they also wanted to create more programs for older users and adults, along with lessons that have kids engage with more tools than just a tablet.

Masood said that the robot doesnt replace a therapist or a teacher it works in tandem with them, giving them more time to focus on assessing the childs progress and cutting down the time a teacher would normally have to spend refocusing the child on task.

Were wanting to meet the individual where they are, and we know how technology-centric we are, said Masood. So this is a great example of using technology for good and using technology in a way thats powerful and impactful improving lives.

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Bristol-based MOVIA Robotics Develops Tools for Special Education and Children with Autism - CT Examiner

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pilot Company, the largest operator of travel centers in North America, announced today a strategic partnership with Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a leading self-driving trucking company. Through this partnership, Pilot Company and Kodiak are collaborating to develop autonomous truck services at Pilot and Flying J travel centers.

Pilot Company and Kodiak are in the process of creating an autonomous truckport in the Atlanta area to evaluate potential service offerings and explore scalable solutions. These services will include spaces to pick-up and drop-off autonomous trucking loads; conduct inspections; maintain and refuel trucks; and the ability to transfer data for processing, such as feature development and mapping. To strengthen the ability to work together to develop a solution that works best for its customers, Pilot Company has made a strategic investment in Kodiak and will join the company's Board of Directors.

"Pilot Company is committed to providing best in class service to its customers today and going forward," said John Tully, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Pilot Company. "In making this strategic investment, we understand that our customers have a need for real solutions that help address the growing demand to move goods and Kodiak is a strong leader in the autonomous trucking space. As we explore the future of autonomous trucks and how we can best support these customers, we will continue to be the travel center network that the trucking industry and professional drivers can count on for the services and care they need."

Combining Pilot Company's nationwide network of travel centers and services with Kodiak's technology will play a crucial role in the deployment of autonomous trucks. Kodiak will lend its expertise as Pilot Company looks to integrate autonomous truck services into its operations. The partnership will further define service and maintenance requirements, operational necessities, facilities planning, and more to meet the needs of autonomous trucks.

"Pilot Company's industry-leading network of highway-adjacent travel centers provides unprecedented geographic reach for the launch and scale of Kodiak's fast-growing network of autonomous trucking lanes," said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics. "Their customer first approach, with a focus on technology, scale, and infrastructure, makes Pilot Company an ideal partner to support the service and maintenance of self-driving trucks nationwide. We are honored to have Pilot Company as an investor, strategic partner, and supporter of our continued commercial footprint growth."

Kodiak entered a hyper-growth phase in 2022, significantly expanding its service footprint and partner network. In July, the company announced a partnership with 10 Roads Express, a provider of time sensitive surface transportation for the U.S. Postal Service, expanding the company's service to Florida. Earlier this year, Kodiak announced a new route between Dallas and Oklahoma City with CEVA Logisticsand a route between Dallas and Atlanta with U.S. Xpress. The company has been delivering freight commercially since 2019 and currently has six routes that run regularly between Dallasand Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Jacksonville, Florida.

About Kodiak Robotics, Inc.Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 to develop autonomous technology that carries freight forward so people, partners, and the planet thrive. The company is developing an industry-leading technology stack purpose-built specifically for long-haul trucks, making the freight industry safer and more efficient. Kodiak's unique modular hardware approach integrates sensors into a streamlined sensor-pod structure that optimizes for perception, scalability, and maintainability.The company delivers freight daily for its customers along six routes in Texas and Oklahoma, operating autonomously on the highway portions of the routes. Learn more about Kodiak on the web at kodiak.ai, and on LinkedInand Twitter. You can find the company press kit HERE.

About Pilot CompanyPilot Travel Centers LLC ("Pilot Company") keeps North America's drivers moving as one of the leading suppliers of fuel and the largest operator of travel centers. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot Company has grown its network to more than 800 retail and fueling locations and supplies more than 14 billion gallons of fuel per year to the market. Pilot Company has the fourth largest tanker fleet with more than 1,600 trucks that supply DEF, bio and renewable fuels, and provides hauling and disposal services to the oil field sector. Pilot Company serves 1.3 million guests per day and provides over 70,000 fleet customers with solutions for fuel, credit, factoring, services and rewards. ItsPilot and Flying Jtravel center network includes over 750 locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces with more than 790 restaurants, 75,000 truck parking spaces, 5,300 deluxe showers, 6,200 diesel lanes and offers truck maintenance and tire service with Southern Tire Mart at Pilot Flying J. TheOne9 Fuel Network connects a variety of fueling locations to provide smaller fleets and independent professional drivers with everyday value, convenience, credit and perks. More information on locations and rewards are available in the myRewards Plusapp.

Pilot Company is currently ranked No. 7 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies. For additional information about Pilot Company, its 30,000 team members and commitment to giving back, visitwww.pilotcompany.com.

SOURCE Pilot Company

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Pilot Company and Kodiak Robotics Partner to Bring Self-Driving Truck Services to Pilot and Flying J Travel Centers - PR Newswire

Travellers flying into the Bolivian capital of La Paz land in El Alto: a working-class, Indigenous city of countless terracotta houses. Most visitors pay it little attention as the taxi whisks them down to La Paz.

But this one-time satellite city has now outgrown the political capital and many see it as a symbol of the countrys future.

One version of that future has taken shape in Altopa, a graphic novel that depicts El Alto in 2053, with todays Indigenous traditions and cutthroat commerce combined with a flare for robotics and close ties to China.

Alejandro Barrientos and Joaqun Cuevas, the two artists behind the comic, first had the idea back in 2003, shortly after the gas war, when Alteos blockaded La Paz to protest against the governments plan to export natural gas by pipeline through Chile. Security forces were sent in and killed 58 people.

The government fell, ultimately paving the way for Evo Morales and his Movement Towards Socialism to enter power two years later.

The gas war was still very fresh in our minds, and El Alto had been its protagonist, said Cuevas. El Alto had a slogan back then: the City of the Future. They went around asking people how they imagined the city would be in 50 years in 2053. And that was the origin of the idea.

Plans to make an animation fell through, and Barrientos wrote a short story instead. Then the idea lay dormant for 20 years until the pandemic provided the chance to revive it.

Meanwhile, El Alto has boomed. Its population has risen from about 650,000 to more than 1.1 million, fuelled by migration from the western highlands of Bolivia. The city is overwhelmingly Indigenous, especially Aymara, and young: more than half the population is under 25.

It is famous for its commerce and the vast sums of money supposedly flowing through its informal economy, which sees goods of every kind shipped from China and smuggled into Bolivia to be sold in one of the biggest open-air markets in the world.

The sheer speed of growth, and the way it has sucked in migrants from rural towns and thrown them into a metropolis, has created a city full of contrasts and fusions, with the hi-tech, lo-tech and traditional side-by-side.

Thats what got our attention, said Barrientos. The velocity and the youth; the dynamism of politics and commerce.

These elements play out in their imagining of El Alto in 2053, where Abel Plata, an orphan with a gift for robotics, works for the new Aymara elite who in turn work for a giant Chinese conglomerate.

The minibuses that once clogged the streets have sprouted mechanical legs, and pick their way through crowds of people selling, dancing and protesting.

The self-taught tinkerers who made once rudimentary prosthetics now work on coca-chewing cyborgs.

And El Altos famous cholets the flamboyant houses combining Andean elements with pop-culture fixations have gone from being three or four storeys to skyscrapers towering over the city. The parties within them count on holograms and robotic dancers.

But even if its plainly bigger and richer than the El Alto of today, the city depicted in Altopa has a distinctly post-apocalyptic feel to it.

Barrientos and Cuevas turn coy on the subject of the storys wider world and the fate of La Paz not wanting to spoil the future volumes.

Lets just say El Alto has often been seen as in the shadow of La Paz, said Barrientos. But something radical has happened and El Alto has risen.

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El Alto: graphic novel depicts Bolivia citys future as Indigenous and robotic - The Guardian