Thousands of Sofia robots will help you cope with loneliness

Since its unveiling in 2016, the humanoid robot "Sofia" has gone viral. Now the company that created it has already

by the end of the year plans to begin mass production of robots for caring for people.

Hanson Robotics, based in Hong Kong,said four models, including the Sofia, will begin production from factories in the first half of 2021, just as researchers predict the pandemic will open up new opportunities for the robotics industry.

“The COVID-19 world will need more and moremore automation to keep people safe,” said founder and CEO David Hanson. He believes robotic solutions to combat the pandemic are not limited to healthcare, but can also help customers in industries such as retail and airlines .

“Robots «Sofia» "are unique in that they are similar to people," Hanson added. "This can be very helpful during times when people are lonely and socially isolated."

The Hanson Robotics founder said he intends to sell “thousands” of robots in 2021 of varying sizes.

Johan Horn Professor of Social Robotics,whose research included work with Sophia, said that while the technology is still in a relatively rudimentary state, the pandemic could accelerate the development of relationships between humans and robots.

Products of other major industry players alsohelps fight the pandemic. SoftBank Robotics' Pepper robot was used to detect people without masks. In China, robotics company CloudMinds helped set up a field hospital with robots during the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.

Before the pandemic, the use of robots was on the rise.According to a report by the International Federation of Robotics, global sales of professional service robots have already jumped 32% to $ 11.2 billion between 2018 and 2019.

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