Since being unveiled in 2016, Sophia – a humanoid robotic – has gone viral. Now the corporate behind her has a brand new imaginative and prescient: to mass-produce robots by the top of the 12 months.
Hanson Robotics, based mostly in Hong Kong, stated 4 fashions, together with Sophia, would begin rolling out of factories within the first half of 2021, simply as researchers predict the pandemic will open new alternatives for the robotics industry.
“The world of COVID-19 goes to want increasingly automation to maintain folks protected,” founder and chief govt David Hanson stated, standing surrounded by robotic heads in his lab.
Hanson believes robotic options to the pandemic should not restricted to healthcare, however may help prospects in industries similar to retail and airways too.
“Sophia and Hanson robots are distinctive by being so human-like,” he added. “That may be so helpful throughout these instances the place persons are terribly lonely and socially remoted.”
Hanson stated he goals to promote “hundreds” of robots in 2021, each giant and small, with out offering a particular quantity.
Social robotics professor Johan Hoorn, whose analysis has included work with Sophia, stated that though the know-how remains to be in relative infancy, the pandemic may speed up a relationship between people and robots.
“I can infer the pandemic will really assist us get robots earlier out there as a result of folks begin to realise that there is no such thing as a different means,” stated Hoorn, of Hong Kong Polytechnic College.
Hanson Robotics is launching a robotic this 12 months referred to as Grace, developed for the healthcare sector.
Merchandise from different massive gamers within the trade are serving to struggle the pandemic as properly. SoftBank Robotics’ Pepper robotic was deployed to detect individuals who weren’t carrying masks. In China, robotics firm CloudMinds helped arrange a robot-run area hospital in the course of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.
Using robots was on the rise earlier than the pandemic. Based on a report by the Worldwide Federation of Robotics, worldwide gross sales of professional-service robots had already jumped 32% to $11.2 billion between 2018 and 2019.
Some people could be cautious of placing robots in such delicate roles. When requested whether or not folks ought to concern robots, Sophia had a solution prepared.
“Somebody stated ‘we’ve got nothing to concern however concern itself’,” the robotic mused. “What did he know?”
