Hong Kong-based robotics company Hanson Robotics first introduced the humanoid robot Sophia in 2016. Since then, robots have become an internet sensation. He was invited to several interviews and spoke at the United Nations.
So far Sofia has been very technologically advanced, but Hanson robotics has other plans. According to the company, with the global blockade, people are growing lonely and yearning for social interaction. Therefore, they believe that this is an incentive for companies to accelerate the production of robots and make them available for consumers to purchase.
According to David Hanson, founder and CEO of Hanson Robotics,
“The world of COVID-19 is going to need more and more automation to keep people safe. Sophia and Hanson’s robots are unique by being so human-like. That can be so useful during these times where people are terribly lonely and socially isolated.”
Johan Horn, a social robotics professor whose research includes collaborating with Sofia, said the technology was still in its infancy, but he still believed it was time to make robots available as consumer electronics. Hanson Robotics also plans to develop a health care robot named Grace by the end of 2021.
Experts believe that robot sales will hit new highs before the pandemic ends.
