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Sophia, The Personable Robot From Hanson Robotics.
Sophia is a life-like robot created by Hanson Robotic’s, Sophia is based on the American actress Audrey Hepburn and company founder David Hanson’s wife. She was shown off at South by Southwest 2016 and gave several interviews. And now the video.
(Sophia from Hanson Robotics)
When asked about her role, Sophia responds "Talking to people is my primary function." Health care, education and customer service are just a few of the jobs that Sophia is designed to handle.Sophia has cameras in her eyes and uses natural facial expressions. Sophia has facial recognition capabilities so she can make eye contact with people.
Science fiction author Fritz Lieber foresaw these developments when he wrote the following in 1954:
Each one is powered by thirty-seven midget electric motors, all completely noiseless, and is controlled by instructions, recorded on magnetic tape, which are triggered off by the sound of your voice and no one else's. There is a built-in microphone that hears everything you say, and an electric brain that selects a suitable answer. The de luxe model is built to your specifications, has fifty different facial expressions, sings two hundred love songs, and can carry on a thousand fascinating conversations...
(Read more about Lieber's mechanical bride)
Sophia is a great advance over the Philip K. DIck robot, which I saw demonstrated by David Hanson at NextFest 2005. Hanson Robotics has made great strides in the last ten years (See Philip K. Dick Robot Unveiled At NextFest 2005
and Philip K. Dick Robot Head Rebuilt Video.)
For other female robots, see Dancing HRP-4C Robot Uncanny Valley Girl and EveR-1 Korean Android And The Mechanical Bride.
Via Hanson Robotics.
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