Why Doesn’t Uruguay Have Robots?

1. Why Doesn’t Uruguay Have Robots? Angela Wang, Eddie Lu, Hong Chen, Roy Li, Zhijun Huang

2. What is a Digital Divide? • Divide between “haves” and “have-nots” • Information and Communication Technology (ICT)‏ • Internet: Access to information, global economy • Tele/mobile phones: Instant communication

3. Significance • Access to ICTs is important in a global economy • Sustains inequality between rich and poor • Digital divides amplify economic differences

4. Where are the Divides? • Global • Developed and developing nations • Local • Social groups within a nation • Social factors • Gender • Age • Culture • Geographic localization • Socioeconomic factors

5. Bridging the Divide • Increasing access to Internet • Affordable personal computers • Computer and internet training • Inclusion of technology in culture

6. Japan vs Urugruay Uruguay Japan

8. Japan

9. High-Tech Japan • G8 summit • CEATEC JAPAN • Cutting-edge technology exhibitions • DLNA • NGN • PLC

10. Innovations • Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency • International Space Station • Robotics • Honda

11. Methods of closing the Divide • Narrowband to broadband • New “super-fast, nationwide fiber system” • Government encouragement • Science and Technology in Society Forum

12. Rural Japan • Limited or no internet access • “Community internet” • Broadband access • Encouraging government subsidies • Population drift to urban areas

13. Japan's Digital Divide

14. Technology in Daily Life • E-commerce, mobile-commerce and the acquisition of information • Mobile terminals are the most common source of internet access • The number of Japanese that use cellphones is twice the number that have landlines

15. Economics • Electronics and machinery are key exports • 72% of GDP comes from service industry

16. Government Actions • ‘e-Japan Strategy’ • 'u-Japan Strategy' • Huge emphasis on technological advancement • Only 1% of GDP spent on defense

17. Uruguay

18. Stats of Uruguay • Ranked 2nd according to the Human Poverty Index • Ranked 3rd poverty below $2 dollars a day

19. Growth of Uruguay from a Global View • Agricultural Based Economy • Relied on raw material exports until 1998 • Increase of capital good imports • Exports fell by 25%

20. Technological Status • Lack of Technological Growth led to stagnation in globalization • Spending on research and development was 0.26% of GDP • Of a million people in 2002: • 370 are scientist • 51 are technician • 3% of their exports was technology

21. Bridging the Digital Divide • Improve Education, which includes providing computers • One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) - nonprofit organization • Uruguay has invested in 100,000 laptops

22. OLPC • Mission: “eliminate poverty and create world peace” • Funding: • AMD • Google

23. OLPC: Aims • Narrowing the Digital Divide • Improve education • Encourage collaboration • Increase internet connectivity • Inspire technical careers

24. OLPC in Uruguay • Large Investment • 100,000 x $200 per laptop • Full coverage of all students 6-12 • Internet connectivity in all schools by 2009

25. Improvements • Uruguay has now put more effort into software industry • Uruguay was ranked 36 on the prosperity index • The income inequality was ranked 88 • Literacy rate is ranked 51th, at 97.7%

26. YEAR Population Internet Users Percent % 2000 3,304,921 370,000 11.2 % 2005 3,251,269 680,000 20.9 % 2007 3,477,778 1,100,000 31.6 % Internet usage

27. Japan (blue) vs. Uruguay (green)‏

28. Bibliography • news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7114785.stm • www.griffith.edu.au/.../japanesemain/bmark.html • www.instablogs.com/media/2006/12/japan1_69.jpg • http://radian.org/notebook/first-deployment • http://www.olpcnews.com/countries/uruguay/uruguay_buying_olpc_xo_intel_classmate.html