With its vibrant face and extraordinary sense of humor, Sophia is one of the world's most famous robots.
Now, Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, the maker of Sofia, has unveiled ambitious plans to produce thousands of robots on a large scale by the end of 2021, for use in multiple sectors.
The company says it will intensify production of four models of its own robots, including Sofia and its new robot Grace, which will be sold for use in the healthcare sector.
The company hopes its vibrant robots will provide companionship to those suffering from social isolation amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Sophia and Hanson's robots are unique in being human-like," said David Hanson, founder and CEO of Hanson Robotics.
This can be very useful during these times when people are terribly socially isolated.
Dr. Hanson believes that robotic solutions to the epidemic are not limited to healthcare, but can help customers in industries such as retail and airlines as well. It is an outcome that will improve his company's end result but jeopardizes the already troubled global workforce, which was hit by unprecedented blows in 2020.
Hanson said he aims to sell "thousands" of robots in 2021, large and small, without providing a specific figure, and declined to go into further details. "The World of Cofed-19 will need more and more automation to keep people safe," he said.
Social robotics professor Johan Horn, who has worked with Sofia in the past, believes that the epidemic could drive the spread of the robotics industry faster than the normal economy.
"I can conclude that the epidemic will really help us get robots early in the market because people are starting to realize that there's no other way," said Horn, of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Robots were already used during the epidemic, and authorities found them particularly useful for imposing CORONA virus measures.
Boston Dynamics Spot Robot was deployed at the beginning of the epidemic to enforce a commitment to social distance in public places in Singapore. Italian police used drones to enforce the closure rules.
Meanwhile, SoftBank Robotics's Pepper robot was used to alert authorities when people were not wearing masks and CloudMinds set up a robot-run field hospital during the height of the Coved-19 crisis in Wuhan, China.
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