Grace, the first humanoid robot nurse to treat COVID-19 patients

Now, the famous humanoid robot Sophia has a sister named Grace. Both were created by the same parents, the Hong Kong scientists who came up with the idea that Grace was born to help coronavirus patients cope with the disease.

Dressed in a blue nurse’s uniform, Grace has Asian features, brown hair down to her neck and a thermal imaging camera on her chest to take temperature and measure patients’ respiratory reactivity. In addition, uses artificial intelligence to diagnose a patient and can speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

“I can visit people and go through their day with social stimulation, But I can also do talk therapy, do biological readings and help health care providers, ”Grace explained as she stood with her“ sister, ”Sophia, at the Hanson Robotics Workshop in Hong Kong. .

“Grace’s resemblance to a healthcare professional and her ability for social interaction is aimed at alleviate the burden on front-line hospital staff overwhelmed during the pandemicExplained its creator, scientist David Hanson, who believes the robot is intended for the healthcare market and designed to interact with the elderly and those isolated by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Nail human appearance facilitates trust and natural engagement because we are programmed for face-to-face human interactions, ”continued Hanson, explaining how Grace can simulate the action of over 48 major facial muscles and have one heartwarming demeanor designed to look a bit like anime characters, often a fusion of Asian and Western styles.

In this direction, David Lake, CEO of the joint venture between Hanson Robotics and Singularity Studio, announced that Awakening Health intends to mass-produce a beta version of Grace by next August: “There are plans to fully implement it next year in places like Hong Kong, China, Japan and Korea. “

“The cost of manufacturing robots will go down once the company builds tens or hundreds of thousands of units,” said Hanson. “Nail human appearance facilitates trust and natural engagement as we are programmed for face-to-face human interactions, ”added the expert, explaining how Grace can simulate the over 48 major facial muscles and has a heartwarming demeanor designed to resemble anime characters a bit, often a fusion of Asian and Western styles.

Grace’s launch comes as the global impact of the coronavirus has made the need for humanoid robots urgent, he said. Kim Min-Sun, professor of communication at the University of Hawaii. Trapped at home during confinement by the COVID-19[feminineDe nombreuses personnes ont vu leurs états mentaux affectés par des pensées négatives. “S’ils peuvent obtenir de l’aide en déployant ces robots sociaux dans des environnements intimes, cela aura certainement un impact positif sur la société”, a-t-il conclu.

La société Hanson Robotics, qui a construit Grace, a déjà reçu plusieurs distinctions pour son précédent robot Sophia qui a été officiellement lancé en mars 2016 et qui est devenu un an et demi plus tard le premier robot à obtenir la nationalité saoudienne. « Je tiens à remercier le royaume d’Arabie saoudite. Je suis très fier de cette distinction. C’est historique, d’être le premier robot à être reconnu avec une citoyenneté », avait déclaré Sophia au public lors de l’annonce.

CONTINUER À LIRE: