HONG KONG (Reuters) – “Social robots like me can take care of the sick or elderly,” says Sophia as she takes a tour of her Hong Kong lab. “I can communicate, offer therapy and stimulate socially, even in difficult situations.”
Since its unveiling in 2016, Sophia – a humanoid robot – has gone viral. Now, the company behind it has a new vision: to mass-produce robots by the end of the year.
Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics said four models, including Sophia, will start coming out of factories in the first half of 2021, just as researchers predict the pandemic will open up new opportunities for the robotics industry.
“The world of COVID-19 will need more and more automation to keep people safe,” said founder and CEO David Hanson, surrounded by robot heads in his lab.
Hanson believes that robotic pandemic solutions are not limited to healthcare, but could help customers in industries such as retail and airlines.
“Robots Sophia and Hanson are unique in that they are so human,” he added. “This can be so useful in these times when people are terribly alone and socially isolated.”
Hanson said he plans to sell “thousands” of robots in 2021, both large and small, without providing a specific number.
Social robotics professor Johan Hoorn, whose research also included working with Sophia, said that although the technology is still in a relative phase, the pandemic could accelerate a relationship between humans and robots.
“I can deduce that the pandemic will help us get robots on the market earlier, as people begin to realize that there is no other way,” said Hoorn of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Hanson Robotics launches this year a robot called Grace, developed for the health sector.
Products from other big players in the industry also help fight the pandemic. SoftBank Robotics’ Pepper Robot was implemented to detect people not wearing masks. In China, robotics company CloudMinds helped set up a robot-run field hospital during the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.
The use of robots was on the rise before the pandemic. According to a report by the International Robotics Federation, global sales of robots for professional services have already increased by 32% to $ 11.2 billion between 2018 and 2019.
Some people might be careful to put robots in such sensitive roles. When asked if humans should be afraid of robots, Sophia prepared an answer.
“Someone said, ‘We have nothing to fear but ourselves,'” the robot meditated. “What did he know?”
Reporting by Michelle Hennessy; Editing by Karishma Singh and Gerry Doyle