Company Aims to Produce Thousands of Humanoid Robots in 2021

A Hong Kong-based robotics company says it plans to mass produce thousands of humanoid robots in 2021.

Hanson Robotics says four different humanoid models will start leaving factories during the first half of the year. One of the four is a robot named Sophia, which has received worldwide attention in recent years for looking and speaking in a very human-like way.

The company's founder¹ and CEO, David Hanson, told Reuters the COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand for robots designed to assist and engage with humans. "The world of COVID-19 is going to need more and more automation to keep people safe."

He noted² that in the past, many of the company's robots were built by hand. But now, Hanson Robotics is beginning to expand its manufacturing operations.

Hanson said there are currently 24 models of Sophia, which will be used as a basis for creating "many other kinds" of models. While not providing an exact number, Hanson said the company aims to sell "thousands" of robots by the end of 2021.

The company says it plans to market its humanoid robots as helpful assistants in the healthcare field. For example, they can be used to take temperature readings to identify possible sickness or perform physical exercises with older people.

Such "social robots" are powered by machine learning methods and artificial intelligence (AI). They use cameras and sensors³ to recognize human faces and activities. The robots are built with tools to help them develop their own form of social and emotional intelligence over time.

During a demonstration⁵ at the company's lab, one of the Sophia models identified some of the activities it could assist humans with.

"Social robots like me can help take care of the sick or elderly in many kinds of healthcare and medical uses."

Hanson said he believes robotic solutions to the pandemic are not limited to healthcare. He said the company's robots are so human-like, they could also serve the public in retail⁶ settings or in the airline industry.

The humanoids "can be so useful during these times where people are terribly lonely and socially isolated," Hanson said.

"I can help communicate, give therapy and provide social stimulation⁸, even in difficult situations."

Johan Hoorn is a social robotics professor at Hong Kong's Polytechnic⁹ University. His research has included work on Sophia. He said that, although the technology is still developing, the pandemic could speed up relationships between robots and humans.

"I can infer the pandemic will actually help us get robots earlier in the market because people (will) start to realize that there is no other way," Hoorn said.

Products from other major developers in the industry are helping¹⁰ fight the pandemic as well. SoftBank Robotics' humanoid robot Pepper was deployed¹¹ in Europe to identify people who were not wearing face coverings. In China, robotics company CloudMinds helped set up a robot-run field hospital for COVID-19 patients in Wuhan.

The use of robots was already on the rise before the pandemic. The International Federation¹² of Robotics said in a report last year that worldwide sales of professional-service robots had jumped 32 percent between 2018 and 2019.

Words in This Story

engage – v. to get and keep someone's attention, interest, etc.

automate¹³ – v. to use machines and computers instead of people to do work

artificial intelligence – n. the power of a machine to copy intelligent human behavior

retail – n. the activity of selling products to the public in shops and on the internet

sensor⁴ – n.

isolate⁷ – v. to put or keep (someone or something) in a place or situation that is separate from others

therapy – n. treatment for a physical or psychological condition

stimulation – n. the act of making some feel interested and excited

infer – v. to guess that something is true because of information that you have

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

4 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

5 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

6 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

7 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

8 stimulation   

n.刺激，激励，鼓舞

参考例句：

• The playgroup provides plenty of stimulation for the children.幼儿游戏组给孩子很多启发。
• You don't get any intellectual stimulation in this job.你不能从这份工作中获得任何智力启发。

9 polytechnic   

adj.各种工艺的，综合技术的；n.工艺(专科)学校；理工(专科)学校

参考例句：

• She was trained as a teacher at Manchester Polytechnic.她在曼彻斯特工艺专科学校就读，准备毕业后做老师。
• When he was 17,Einstein entered the Polytechnic Zurich,Switzerland,where he studied mathematics and physics.17岁时，爱因斯坦进入了瑞士苏黎士的专科学院，学习数学和物理学。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

12 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

13 automate   

v.自动化；使自动化

参考例句：

• Many banks have begun to automate.许多银行已开始采用自动化技术。
• To automate the control process of the lathes has become very easy today.使机床的控制过程自动化现已变得很容易了。