NEWS
Banpu NEXT partners with Evolution Data Centres to provide sustainable energy solutions for Thailand and Vietnam data centres
Banpu NEXT , a subsidiary of Banpu – a leading smart energy solutions provider in APAC – together with Evolution Data Centres ( EDC ), a leading data centre provider , have joined forces to provide smart energy solutions for EDC ’ s data centres in Thailand and Vietnam .
The hyperscale data centre market in the APAC region is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10.21 % from 2024 to 2029 , with growth largely driven by the burgeoning cloud computing industry , which is seeing increased demand for Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) applications .
Data centre demand in Thailand is expected to experience a CAGR of 27 % between 2021 and 2026 .
The partnership between Banpu NEXT and EDC will deliver environmentally friendlier data centres to support the growth of Thailand ’ s digital economy .
In Vietnam , the data centre industry is supporting the country ’ s economic growth , in line with the government ’ s direction for the digital economy to account for 25 % of GDP by 2025 . Data centre growth is forecast to be 37 % CAGR between 2021 and 2026 .
Both countries are forecast to become strategic locations for international investors searching for ASEAN emerging hubs that have advanced infrastructure including power distribution , fibre networks , green energy and transportation systems .
In the future , Banpu NEXT plans to implement other smart energy solutions to further improve EDC ’ s data centres ’ energy efficiency . These include the potential for energy storage systems as well as energy management services such as cooling systems .
Andromeda Robotics trials AI-powered aged care companion robot
Australian-based robotics and AI startup
Andromeda Robotics is undertaking initial trials with aged care provider Allity – part of the Bolton Clarke Group .
The trials involve Andromeda ’ s protype humanoid companion robot designed to interact with residents in a relaxed and conversational manner .
An Allity resident meets ‘ Abi ’
Powered by the Chat GPT-4 Artificial Intelligence platform , the robot – named Abi – can recognise residents , answer questions and tailor conversations based on previous interactions .
Thena Johnstone , National Pathways Manager , Allity , said Abi has been success with residents who enjoy interacting with it through voice .
“ We have been fortunate enough to be involved with Abi from the very early stages and have watched it grow in both capability and physical stature ,” she said .
“ Abi now stands some 120cm tall and can gesture and move its head and eyes when interacting with residents .”
Johnstone said ongoing staff shortages across the aged care sector meant it was sometimes difficult to find times for conversations with residents . This is where a robot such as Abi can add significant value .
Andromeda founder Grace Brown said the initial trial at Allity was a significant step in the ongoing evolution of Abi – providing invaluable data for the company ’ s development team .
“ Abi uses a mix of machine vision , Artificial Intelligence and Chat GPT to power its interactions with residents ,” she said .
“ Abi also relies on non-verbal cues and we have worked with advisors from animation studios Pixar and DreamWorks to make Abi ’ s body language as empathetic and engaging as possible .”
16 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www . intelligentcio . com