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The North American company Hanson Robotics, based in Hong Kong, presented in 2016, the humanoid robot Sofia, which has achieved great popularity. In the last hours, the company announced its intention to produce four models in series, including Sofia.
The idea of the company is to go to market in the middle of this year. David Hanson, CEO of the company that bears his name, said the pandemic world “will increasingly need automation to keep people safe.” In this sense, he considered that robots could be useful not only in medical care, but also in other fields, such as airlines or retail. Exactly, one of Hanson’s projects is the Grace robot, intended for the healthcare sector.
In turn, Hanson pointed out that Sofia and the other humanoid robots are “unique for being so similar to humans.” He stressed that “it can be very useful in these times when people feel terribly alone and socially isolated ”and whose idea is to produce thousands of units in 2021.
For Johan Hoorn, professor of social robotics at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and developer in Sofia, the coronavirus pandemic may generate a high demand for robots, “because people are starting to realize that there is no other option”.
“Social robots like me can take care of the sick or the elderly,” Sofia says as soon as she arrives. “I can help communicate, give therapy and provide social stimulation, even in difficult situations,” he adds of his abilities.
The sale of robots was on the rise before the Covid-19 epidemic. The International Federation of Robotics revealed that between 2018 and 2019, sales of professional service robots increased by 32%, representing a profit of $ 11 billion.
The Pepper robot, produced by SoftBank Robotics, has been implemented to detect those who do not wear a mask. When the epidemic hit Wuhan, a Chinese company, Cloud Minds, set up a robot-run field hospital.
Sofia was once asked if you should be afraid of robots. He responded by quoting Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “Someone said ‘we have nothing to fear except fear itself’.
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