Hanson Robotics

Hanson Robotics Limited is a Hong Kong-based engineering and robotics company founded in 2013 that is best known for their development of humanlike robots with artificial intelligence (AI) for consumer, entertainment, service, healthcare, and research applications. It has a team of 45 employees and are the creators behind high-profile humanoid robots including the Albert HUBO, the first walking robot with human-like expressions, BINA48, an interactive humanoid robot bust, and Sophia, the world’s first robot citizen.

The company develops a number of character robots with a realistic humanoid appearance and behavior. According to the company’s website, Hanson Robotics aims to create intelligent and empathetic robots that teach, serve, entertain, and provide companionship. The most advanced of the company’s robots is Sophia.

Hanson Robotics’ robots feature a patented spongy elastomer skin called Frubber that resembles human skin in its feel and flexibility. Underneath the Frubber, are proprietary motor control systems that enable the robots to convey a wide range of human expressions.

Dr. David Hanson is the company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer. Chief Scientist of Hanson Robotics is Dr. Ben Goertzel.

Hanson Robotics' first exhibited at the 2002 Associate for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) conference in Edmonton, Canada and at the 2003 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) at the annual meeting in Washington DC.

In October 2016, the company was selected as one of nine companies to join the Disney Accelerator program.

The company’s artificial intelligence software collects emotional and visual data that provide social insights.

Sophia is Hanson Robotics’ most well-known robot, is regularly featured in news outlets, and receives a great deal of public interest, evolving as she learns from each human interaction she has. The company's latest creation made her debut at the 2016 South by Southwest (SXSW) show, with her interview by CNBC reaching a broad audience. Since then, she has become a global media personality, having conducted numerous press interviews and appeared on broadcast television shows including CBS 60 Minutes with Charlie Rose, the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Good Morning Britain. She has also been a keynote and panel speaker at global conferences and events, including those hosted by ITU, United Nations.

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