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HONG KONG – “Social robots like me can care for the sick or the elderly,” Sophia says as she takes a tour of her Hong Kong lab. “I can help communicate, provide therapy and provide social stimulation, even in difficult situations.”
Since its unveiling in 2016, Sophia – a humanoid robot – has gone viral. Now the company has a new vision behind it: to mass-produce robots by the end of the year.
Hanson Robotics, based in Hong Kong, said four models, including Sophia, will begin rolling out factories in the first half of 2021, just as researchers predict the pandemic will offer new opportunities for the robotics industry.
DRONES TO ROBOTS: PANDEMIC FUEL OUR AUTONOMIC DELIVERY
“The world of COVID-19 is going to need more and more automation to keep people safe,” said David Hanson, founder and CEO, surrounded by robotic heads in his lab.
Hanson believes that robotic solutions to the pandemic are not only for healthcare, but that it can also help customers in industries such as retail and airlines.
The prosthetics engineer Mike Humphrey looks at Fred, a recently completed Mesmer robot built on May 9, 2018 in Cornwall, England, at the company’s headquarters in Penryn. (File photo by Matt Cardy / Getty Images)
“Sophia and Hanson robots are unique because they are so human,” he added. “It can be so helpful in these times where people are terribly lonely and socially isolated.”
Hanson said he wants to sell “big and small” thousands of robots by 2021, without providing a specific number.
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Johan Hoorn, professor of social robotics, whose research collaborates with Sophia, said that although the technology is still relatively child-friendly, the pandemic could accelerate a relationship between humans and robots.
“I can conclude that the pandemic will actually help us get robots into the market earlier, because people are starting to realize that there is no other way,” said Hoorn, of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
This year, Hanson Robotics is launching a robot called Grace, developed for the healthcare sector.
Products from other major players in the industry are also helping to fight the pandemic. SoftBank Robotics’ Pepper robot was used to track down people who were not wearing masks. In China, the robotics company CloudMinds helped set up a robot-controlled field hospital during the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.
The use of robots increased before the pandemic. According to a report by the International Federation of Robotics, global sales of professional service robots increased by 32% between 2018 and 2019 to $ 11.2 billion.
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Some people may be wary of placing robots in such sensitive roles. When asked if people should fear robots, Sophia has an answer ready.
“Someone said ‘we need fear nothing but fear ourselves,'” the robot thought. “What did he know?”