Thérèse Kirongozi

Thérèse Kirongozi
Kirongozi with the top half of her humanoid traffic robot
Born	Thérèse Kirongozi (1973-06-03) 3 June 1973 Kinshasa, Zaire
Nationality	Congolese
Occupation(s)	Industrial engineer, entrepreneur
Years active	2013
Known for	Humanoid traffic robots

Thérèse Izay Kirongozi (born 3 June 1973) is a Congolese engineer. She is notable for designing traffic robots that were initially placed in two locations in Kinshasa towards the end of 2013. By 2015 five robots were in use in Kinshasa and one in Lubumbashi. The use of robots as traffic lights may be unique to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Early life

Kirongozi was born in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) on June 3, 1973. She studied in her hometown before starting undergraduate studies at the Higher Institute of Applied Techniques. From an early age, Thérèse had an interest in traffic safety after witnessing her brother being crushed by a vehicle.

Achievement

The idea for the robots first came to Kirongozi and a few of her peers at the Higher Institute of Applied Technique. Kirongozi told reporters she was motivated by the ease with which people could speed, run red lights, and flee or bribe their way out of consequences. She wanted something more reliable and incorruptible on the roads to enforce traffic laws. Robots, she thought, could make sure that people were accountable to the rule of law, and could help the state recoup some revenue, potentially funding further infrastructure developments.

Population

The local population has accepted the robots enthusiastically. An editorial writer, Sam Sturgis, while acknowledging the improvement the robots bring to traffic flow, suggested that they may divert attention from the problem of the unregulated growth of the city on the periphery. ‘People on the streets apparently respect the robots in a way that they don’t follow directions from human traffic cops at one of Kinshasa’s busy intersections,’ says Brian Sokol, photographer of Panos Pictures. Another example for a taxi driver interviewed by Agence France-Presse, “There are certain drivers who don’t respect the traffic police. But with the robot it will be different. We should respect the robot. We’re very happy about it,” he said, his taxi packed with passengers as drivers around him honked their horns in a desperate bid to cut through the traffic jam.

Government

The Congolese government has been so impressed with the robots that as of February they installed three more units for Kinshasa (Women's Technology has dubbed them Kisanga, Mwaluke, and Tamuke) and sent five to the southeastern mining district of Katanga, at a cost of $27,500 per machine. These new bots will supposedly react more quickly than earlier models and feature speed radars. If the expansion works out, it will indicate that the success of the first two robots was about more than shock factor and novelty. Izay Kirongozi told the Agence France-Presse that she has already submitted a proposal to the country for purchasing an additional 30 traffic robots, which will hopefully pay for themselves in decreased accident costs and increased fines, and replace unreliable human cops on the cheap. A claimed advantage of the robots is that, unlike local traffic police, they are immune to bribery. Their human-like appearance is also considered to encourage drivers to slow down more than a simple sign. General Celestin Kanyama, chief of Kinshasa's police force, said the new electronic cops were a welcome addition in a city where 2,276 people have died in traffic accidents since 2007. “These robots will be an important asset for the police,” he told AFP. But Kinshasa governor Andre Kimbuta said that while the machines could regulate traffic, they were no match for real policemen who could chase motorists who jump red lights and raise civic awareness. “We should congratulate our Congolese engineers, but policemen also need to do their job,” he said.

Innovations

Thérèse has developed humanoid robots that regulate traffic in Kinshasa. "There are several robots in the world, but a robot that regulates road traffic and ensures the safety of pedestrians, it's really made in Congo," she proudly says. She is an industrial engineer in electronics, and the head of Women's Technology (Wotech), the association that is manufacturing these robots. Tamuke, Mwaluke and Kisanga are the names given to the last three robots developed by Thérèse Izay and her team. They were purchased by the police authorities and handed over on March 4, 2015. There are at least 5 of them that are regulating traffic in Kinshasa.

The new generation of robots conceived by the inventor has cameras set in their “eyes” and “shoulders” that film traffic continuously. Thanks to the antenna fixed on top of their head, data can be transmitted to a control center via an Internet Protocol (IP) transmission. Thérèse Izay is already envisioning the manufacturing of robot soldiers, road cleaning robots, robots that can intervene in a toxic environment, etc. She is proof that women have an important role to play in the industrialization process of the African continent, and that they are just as talented as men.

Design and cost

The first generation of robots was commissioned in 2013 and cost about 15,000 dollars each to manufacture, while the latest generation unveiled on March 4, 2015, cost about 27,500 dollars each. They weigh 250 kg (550 lb) each, are 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) high and are made of aluminium to better withstand the equatorial climate. The autonomy of the robots is provided by a solar panel placed over their head. The solar panels that power the robots could prove a major asset in a city where whole districts still lack electrical power. Made of aluminium, the robots are designed to resist a harsh equatorial climate with high temperatures, humidity and massive downpours. These humanoid traffic robots can rotate their chest and raise their arms like a human traffic officer would do to stop vehicles in one direction, and allow their flow in another one. Some of these robots can detect pedestrians and are programmed to “speak” to tell them when the road can be crossed or not. When they wait to cross, he sings a song that recalls the principles of road traffic. The first goal is to implement the humanoid robots all around Kinshasa, but to achieve this, according to some experts, it is necessary to mobilize 12 million US dollars because Kinshasa has about 600 strategic and dangerous intersections, the price of a robot oscillating between 10,000 and US$20,000, including the cost of maintenance.

Expansion and projects

After two prototypes installed in 2013, three "new generation" robots were delivered to the capital in March, and five to the Katangese authorities, including three in Lubumbashi. "This is a positive thing ... in the business of road safety. We need to multiply these intelligent robots to install them at various intersections in the towns and urban agglomerations of our country," said Val Manga, head of the National Road Safety Commission. The selling price of a unit is around 25,000 dollars (about 22,000 euros) and varies according to the autonomy of its solar panels. Society does not fall asleep on its laurels; the company is developing and evolving its technology. "The robot sends the police, in real-time, the images filmed by its cameras. We use a radio beam, but eventually, we will switch to fibre optics. The transmission of images will be much faster, "says the project manager. An "intelligent" traffic cop robot has been installed in the city of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Local residents seem enthusiastic about the robot, which replaces Lubumbashi's traffic police and also has surveillance cameras to observe traffic offences, regional broadcaster Nyota says. It comes the year after two similar solar-powered robots were set up at intersections in the capital city Kinshasa, attracting attention at the time. However, there are some worries about whether the robots will be maintained properly, given that many of Lubumbashi's traffic lights have fallen into disrepair, UN-sponsored Radio Okapi reports.

Several other Congolese cities want to acquire these automata. And Women's Technologies also intends to export. Angola, Congo, Ivory Coast and Nigeria are interested. When is the presence of the first humanoid agents made in DR Congo in these countries? "The talks are very advanced," says the head of the company. She now hopes other countries will follow suit. She would, for example, like to see these "robots Made in Congo" in New York. "That's my dream. I dream big," she recently told Radio Okapi.

External links

• TV2 video report