 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry |
|
| Founded | 2007; 19 years ago (2007) inDallas,Texas, United States |
| Founder | David Hanson |
| Headquarters | Science Park,Hong Kong[1] |
Key people |
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| Products | |
| Website | hansonrobotics.com |
Hanson Robotics Limited is aHong Kong–based engineering and robotics company founded in 2007 by robotics designerDavid Hanson. The company develops humanoid robots designed for research, demonstrations, and public engagement withartificial intelligence (AI), human–robot interaction, and expressive robotics. Its best-known robots includeSophia,BINA48, andAlbert HUBO.[3]
Hanson Robotics' robots commonly use a patented elastomer skin material calledFrubber, designed to mimic the texture and flexibility of human skin.[4] Beneath the skin, motor-driven mechanisms and proprietary control systems enable facial animation intended to reproduce human expressions.[5]
Hanson Robotics was founded in 2007 in Dallas, Texas. In 2013, the company relocated toHong Kong Science Park.[6] Media reports at the time described plans to expand robotics research and development in Hong Kong.[7][8]
In October 2016, Hanson Robotics was selected as one of nine companies to join the Disney Accelerator program.[9]
Hanson Robotics has focused on humanoid robots intended to demonstrate expressive facial animation and conversational interaction. The robots have often been used in public demonstrations and media appearances; researchers and commentators have also debated whether such presentations can overstate the capabilities of current AI systems (see § Criticism).
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Sophia is Hanson Robotics' most widely publicized robot and has been featured in international media since 2016. Early demonstrations included appearances at events such asSouth by Southwest (SXSW), including a widely circulated interview with CNBC.[10] Sophia later appeared on broadcast programs includingCBS 60 Minutes,[11]The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,[12] andGood Morning Britain.[13]
In 2017, Sophia was granted honorary citizenship by Saudi Arabia, an announcement that generated extensive coverage and criticism regarding the symbolic nature of the gesture and debates about rights and personhood.[14]
Sophia has also appeared at events hosted by international organizations, including the United Nations, primarily as a demonstration platform for public discussion of AI and robotics.[15]
Sophia was featured in Audi's 2016 annual report[16] and appeared in ELLE Brasil.[17]
Sophia was named an Innovation Champion by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).[18] In 2018, Sophia received anEdison Award in the robotics category.[19]
Alice was developed in 2008 for MIRA Labs in Geneva, Switzerland.[20] Media accounts described Alice as an expressive humanoid robot used for cognitive robotics research at theUniversity of Geneva and in the INDIGO cognitive robotics consortium.[21]
Albert Einstein HUBO was developed in 2005 in collaboration with theKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) HUBO team. The project combined a HUBO humanoid body with an expressive animatronic head modeled afterAlbert Einstein. KAIST built the walking body, while Hanson Robotics built the head and facial systems, including Frubber-based facial surfaces.[22]
The robot debuted at theAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in November 2005.[23] Reports described it as capable of facial expressions and voice synthesis modeled on Einstein.[24] Media accounts stated that the robot was housed at theUniversity of California, San Diego at theCalifornia Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2).[25]
BINA48 (BreakthroughIntelligence via Neural Architecture 48) is a humanoid robot bust developed by Hanson Robotics and introduced in 2010. It uses multiple motors beneath a Frubber skin surface to produce facial expressions.[26] The robot was commissioned byMartine Rothblatt and modeled after Bina Rothblatt.[27]
Han debuted in 2015 at theGlobal Sources electronics fair in Hong Kong. Reports described the robot as designed to demonstrate facial expression recognition and replication using cameras and speech recognition technology, with suggested applications in customer-facing roles.[28]
Jules debuted in 2006 atWired NextFest. Reports described Jules as a humanoid robot used to demonstrate face tracking, facial recognition, and conversational interaction, including collaborations with third-party chatbot platforms.[29] The robot has been described as residing at theUniversity of the West of England in Bristol.[30]
Professor Einstein is a consumer robot introduced in 2017 following earlier demonstrations in 2016, including at theConsumer Electronics Show (CES).[31] It was marketed as an educational product aimed at children ages 8–13.[32] Reports described it as capable of speech-based interaction, simple information retrieval via Wi-Fi, facial expression animation, and face tracking using an onboard camera.[33]
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The Philip K. Dick Android is an android portrait of science fiction writerPhilip K. Dick. It was first shown publicly in 2005 atWired NextFest.[34] Media reports described the system as incorporating a conversational model trained on Dick's writings and related materials.[35]
In 2005, Hanson and collaborators received an AAAI award for an "intelligent conversational portrait" related to the project.[36] Reports also stated that an early version was lost during air travel in 2005.[37]
In 2011, Hanson Robotics produced a new version in collaboration with Dutch broadcasterVPRO.[34] Reports described the android as using dozens of servomotors for facial expression and motion-tracking machine vision.[38]
Zeno debuted in 2007 atWired NextFest. Reports described the robot as capable of seeing, hearing, and speech-based interaction, with an expressive face driven by multiple motors and sensors.[39] An updated version was reported in 2012, with additional servos and sensors for research and demonstration use.[40]
Joey Chaos was unveiled at the 2007 RoboBusiness Conference and Expo in Boston, Massachusetts.[41] Reports described it as a platform used to study human–robot interaction, including face tracking and speech recognition.[42]
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Hanson Robotics' humanoid robots—particularly Sophia—have drawn criticism from AI researchers and commentators who argue that media presentations can exaggerate the autonomy and intelligence of such systems.Yann LeCun has described Sophia as a "puppet" and criticized portrayals that suggest capabilities beyond what the underlying technology supports.[43]
The 2017 announcement that Sophia had received Saudi citizenship was also criticized, including discussion of the symbolic nature of the gesture and comparisons to the challenges faced by human residents seeking citizenship.[44]
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