TEHRAN (Tasnim) � An upgraded version of Iran�s first domestically-built humanoid robot named �Sorena III� was unveiled on Monday in a ceremony here in Tehran.

The ceremony was attended by Iran�s Vice-President for Science and Technology Affairs Sorena Sattari.

Speaking at the event, Aghil Yousefi-Koma, the project manager, announced that Sorena III, which is 190 centimeters high and weighs nearly 98 kilograms, enjoys special and unique features.

Compared with the previous version (Sorena II), the third generation of Iran�s Sorena robot has considerable capabilities, Yousefi-Koma noted, adding that the project has taken four years to complete.

The robot can move on rough surfaces and ramps, go up and down stairs, and rotate freely within desired radius, the Iranian official said.

He went on to say that Sorena III can also communicate with the environment using both its vision and hearing capabilities, and has a limited speaking ability, too.

In the ceremony, VP Sattari announced that the government has started financing the project to build Sorena IV, the next generation of this robot.



Iran in recent years has made considerable achievements in various scientific fields including robotics, biotechnology, satellite technology, and nanotechnology.

Earlier on Wednesday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei highlighted the role of science as a means of power and development, and called for maintaining the pace of scientific growth in Iran despite enemies' efforts to undermine it.

Addressing a group of Iranian university chancellors and heads of higher education and research centers here in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei underlined the �pace of scientific progress� as �very crucial and fundamental� to the continuation of Iran�s scientific movement.

�If the pace of the country�s scientific progress slows down, our distance from the world�s scientific movement will increase,� Imam Khamenei warned, urging that Iran should maintain its growth pace.

By Tasnim News Agency