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Humanoid robots, eminent characters in science fiction novels and sci-fi films, are becoming a reality. Sophia, as an example, was first activated on Valentine's Day in 2016. [I] One month later, she had her premiere in Texas, USA and has made multiple public appearances around the world since then. [II] At one such event, Sophia was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in October 2017 and even became the first Innovation Champion of the United Nations Development Programme later that year. During Sophia's trip to Viet Nam in 2018, she addressed the Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo. [III]
[IV] Sophia the Robot is the latest humanlike robot created by a Hong Kong-based company whose combined efforts in Al research, engineering and design have given birth to robots. Undoubtedly, Sophia together with other Hanson robots represents the rapid advancement in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. She has been designed to assist humans in healthcare, customer support and education.
Sophia's physical appearance is inspired by both the famous actress Audrey Hepburn and the creator's wife. She has cameras for eyes and microphones for ears, allowing her to see and hear like a human. But what makes her more lifelike than other robots is the patented artificial skin called Frubber, which has the feel and flexibility of human skin.
Sophia amazes the world with her ability to communicate naturally. The Sophia Intelligence Collective, which is a combination of AI and human input, and other sophisticated perception techniques enable Sophia to recognise human faces and identify human emotions and gestures. Equipped with machine learning algorithms, Sophia can understand human speech and interact with people. Questions and jokes are pieces of cake to her whereas sarcasm is intelligible. What distinguishes Sophia from other humanlike robots is her social behaviour, i.e. her facial emotions, hand movements and conversation skills, and most importantly, her learning capability. Sophia is programmed to learn from experiences and adapt to new situations.
