The company behind Sophia, the interactive humanoid robot, plans to mass-produce other humanoid robots by the end of the year, according to a Reuters report.
Sophia is an innovation by Hong Kong-based artificial intelligence (AI) firm Hanson Robotics.
The move to bring out more humanoid robots comes amid research predictions that the COVID-19 pandemic will open new opportunities for the robotics industry.
In addition, global tech research firm Omdia anticipates acceleration in AI adoption in the healthcare industry owing largely to COVID-19. It expects that COVID-19 will drive significant revenue growth in 2021 for the healthcare AI software market.
Reuters reports that Hanson Robotics has revealed that four models, including Sophia, will start rolling out of factories in the first half of this year.
Hanson Robotics will also launch a robot this year called Grace, developed for the healthcare sector.
“The world of COVID-19 is going to need more and more automation to keep people safe,” says David Hanson, founder and CEO of Hanson Robotics.
The global news group says Hanson believes robotic solutions to the pandemic are not limited to healthcare, but could assist customers in industries such as retail and airlines too.
“Sophia and Hanson robots are unique by being so human-like,” he states, adding it can be useful during these times where people are terribly lonely and socially isolated.
Reuters points out that Hanson aims to sell “thousands” of robots in 2021, both large and small.
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