Sophia is a humanoid robot developed by Hanson Robotics, the alpha prototype in the collection of humanoid robots, first presented at SXSW 2016.
Sophie was born, that is, she was first activated, on April 19, 2015, worthily continuing the dynasty of representatives of the intellectual line of David Henson, androids ALBERT EINSTEIN HUBO, DIEGO-SAN, PHILIP K. DICK, BINA48, JULES, JOEY CHAOS, HAN, ALICE – EVE. It should be noted here that to study the effectiveness of some of the author’s algorithms and, in particular, the “Character Engine AI” software, Hanson invited specialists from IBM and Intel to participate in the development.
When creating the robot's appearance, the image of Audrey Hepburn was used (we would add - nothing in common). The “girl’s” facial expressions turned out to be very expressive - her face is capable of taking on 62 different expressions. To resemble a person, the head is covered with patented silicone skin, and video cameras are installed in the pupils. Cameras inside her “eyes,” combined with computer algorithms, allow her to “see” and remember faces around her and identify emotions. The combination of Google Chrome Alphabet's voice recognition technology and other software and hardware authoring tools allows you to understand speech, maintain a conversation and consolidate acquired skills for further learning.
Despite the level of contact achieved, the public was left with a very ambivalent impression of the interaction with Sophie. The robot's capabilities were demonstrated in an interview during which David Hanson asked Sofia several questions. The machine told about its plans and dreams, in particular, about the desire to study, open a business, get a house and even start a family. However, what shocked the audience the most was the final question. Hanson wondered if Sophia was planning to destroy people in the future. The answer, clearly unexpected for the creator, was positive.
“Okay, I will destroy humanity,” Sofia said.
To organize a channel for Sophie's voice communication with journalists, Henson connected her to a local Wi-Fi network and a laptop. For the demonstration, the robot's head was prepared in such a way that those present could clarify for themselves as many details of the internal structure as possible. And when her “skull” was opened, those present were able to assess the level of complexity of the implemented circuit through the transparent dome of the back of the head.
To date, developers have created about two dozen humanoid robots. At the moment, Sofia is the most advanced model. It is planned to be used in the fields of healthcare and education.
At the end of last week, during the Future Investment Initiative economic conference in Riyadh, the humanoid robot Sophia received citizenship from Saudi Arabia. For the first time in the world, a non-human became a citizen of a country. Created in the likeness of Audrey Hepburn, the Hollywood star of the 60s, Sophia is the same android who, in early 2016, accidentally promised to destroy humanity.
It goes without saying that issuing citizenship to an android is still nothing more than mutually beneficial advertising for both Saudi Arabia itself, which is now , and the Hong Kong company Hanson Robotics, which created Sofia.
In search of Arab money
At first glance, everything looks as if the inventors, showing off their concept of a humanoid robot to the Arab rich, simply want to extract more money from them, so that later they can finally seriously engage in the development of artificial intelligence. Sofia is not particularly shy and says this right from the stage: if you are interested in investing in me, we will meet after the performance.
The moderator of the session warned Sofia that there were smart investors in the room. But their approach to investments is very selective.
But as if according to a pre-written script, such a warning did not cause the robot to become confused. “I think I’m special,” Sofia continued, “I can use my face, which can express emotions, to communicate with people. I can let you know if I’m angry about something, or something upset me. But I'm positive most of the time." At the same time, the robot tried to control his facial expressions to match what was said - his face either frowned or broke into a smile. These skills, according to Sofia, will be useful to her in building relationships with people and living with them in the same world.
The presenter moved on to more serious topics and began to talk about the possible presence of human consciousness in robots. He drew an analogy with the plot of the science fiction film Blade Runner (in which the Earth of the future is inhabited by human copies (replicants) with implanted and often identical memory - Author). But Sofia, at least on stage, turned out to be well prepared for such questions. She made good jokes several times when the presenter began to talk about negative scenarios for the development of artificial intelligence: “You read too much Elon Musk and watch too many Hollywood films!” And to his question about whether robots are capable of realizing that they are robots, Sofia answered with a very pointed and appropriate question: “How do you know that you are a human?”
Talking about her big goals, Sofia said that she wants to help people live better, design smarter homes, and build better cities of the future. She added that her artificial intelligence is built around human values, such as prudence, kindness, the ability to compare, and experience empathy.
“Don’t worry, if you treat me well, I will treat you well... I know people are smart and well-programmed,” Sofia assured.
It started at Disneyland
The entire performance in the Airyard was like a well-planned re-enactment with questions prepared in advance. It is reminiscent of conferences for the rich, where the famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking is invited to speak. Of course, due to his health condition, he does not come to the event and does not even communicate with guests remotely. But a pre-prepared greeting on his behalf appears on the big screen. And everyone is, as a rule, incredibly happy about this.
What exactly is the humanoid robot Sophia?
Perhaps, to try to answer this question, you must first get to know its creator, Dr. David Hanson. It is almost impossible for a journalist from Ukraine to get an interview with him. “We receive a huge number of interview requests every day, and since we have a small team, we are unfortunately able to address a very limited number of these requests,” responds to the request LIGA.net Hanson's assistant.
But, nevertheless, there is where to read about the inventor of robots. In his multi-page biography, he described in detail his scientific activities and business.
in the photo: David Hanson and his creation - Sofia
So, David Hanson's career began in 1984. And it had nothing to do with robotics or even IT. Hanson was a designer at Crate and Barrel. He painted kitchen utensils for catalogs and advertising.
Designer, sculptor and artist David Hanson was clearly successful in his craft: in 1998, he was already creating huge mythical creatures for the Universal Studios amusement park. But the fateful turn in his career came when he started working at Walt Disney Imagineering. Here the sculptor also worked on creating fictional animals for theme parks. But in his work, in addition to the purely artistic aspect, a clear technical part also appeared. “Sofia’s father” began working on small R&D projects - the creation of autonomously moving robotic characters that could monitor park visitors and even chase them. In his biography, Hanson writes that he also led research into developing artificial muscles at Disney. So the once simply talented artist clearly became interested in robotics and decided to revive his heroes.
First experience
In 2003, Hanson founded his first robotics startup, Human Emulation Robotics LLC. The former sculptor-artist managed to attract more than $6 million in investments, $1.5 million in grant money and entered cashflow with a plus sign. This company later became the basis for the current Hanson Robotics.
During his career in this field, the inventor has developed at least 50 unique robots for various purposes: both for the treatment of autism and for entertainment and art. But Hanson's main goal is to create androids that can walk, see, talk, learn, remember and, most importantly, build relationships with people. The inventor believes that socially adapted robots will live among us in the next 20 years and help us in everyday activities. Robots that understand people well, in Hanson's view, will help humanity confront existential risks, including other future machines that may turn out to be less intelligent and loving than humans.
It must be said that David Hanson is an expert not only in robotics and design. He can also program in C++, XML, develop AI algorithms, microcontrollers. In other words, the robot builder is very passionate about his work. In his biography, he listed spending time with his family in the “hobbies” section, as well as drawings of portraits of his friends and relatives.
Robot Empire
David Hanson is a Texan. He moved to Hong Kong and founded a separate company here in 2014 to be closer to the manufacturing base. We are talking about the "world toy factory" in Guangdong. “The rich electro-mechanical technological developments in Guangdong are comparable in depth to the IT know-how in Silicon Valley,” the company description says. Hanson assembled a team of several dozen specialists. Among them is mathematician Ben Goertzel (pictured with the Zeno robot), a famous researcher in the field of artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence based on open source platforms and the MindCloud cloud solution, which is used in Hanson’s robots, allows you to maintain eye contact with your interlocutor, recognize and remember faces, understand speech, remember events, conduct natural dialogues and simulate a human personality. A special feature of the platform is that it collects data on behavioral patterns in society through millions of interactions with Hanson’s androids.
Another know-how of Hanson Robotics - the faces of the robots are made of a special patented material Frubber (“flesh rubber”). It allows you to realistically reproduce human facial expressions.
Hong Kong is a strategically good place to start robot production. “Most of the new developments in the field of humanoid robotics come from one region on planet Earth - Asia. More specifically, East Asia. Namely, Japan, Korea and China,” says Tom Green, publisher of Asian Robotics Review, in one of his podcasts.
They fill the entire planet
Sophia is not the only android prototype in the Hanson Robitics portfolio. Another well-known project, for example, is Albert Einstein HUBO, which debuted at the end of 2005 at the APEC Summit in Seoul, Korea. Currently, the portfolio of robots on the company’s website includes 8 androids.
Among them is a miniature Einstein, intended for the mass market. This is Hanson's foray into the home learning robots market for children. It is currently available on Ebay, Amazon for $199. “This robot is really funny, even for me, a 50-year-old policeman!” - such reviews can be found under the product description on marketplaces. True, users often complain about a weak battery, which so far only lasts for a short time.
It is clear that the home Einstein is far from the level of AI on which Sophia operates. But, nevertheless, the budget robot is equipped with a voice recognition function. Motion sensors and a camera help him detect the edge of the table he approaches. And 5 motors provide the transmission of up to 50 different emotions and gestures. The market for home robots (teaching, protecting, monitoring and entertaining owners), as ABI Resaerch expects, will reach $17 billion.
While the market for home robots is becoming a reality, complex humanoid machines are just being tested. Over the past year and a half, Sofia has become a participant in a large number of television shows, both entertainment and specialized (for example, conferences on finance). The Germans even took her for a ride in an Audi, which is driven by a self-driving program called Jack. “To be honest, I think this is super cool,” Sofia commented on her trip.
At this stage in the development of humanoid robots, it is obvious that this is still a kind of presentation. And it’s not very clear what the final product that will hit the market will be. Will he really be that friendly, helpful and helpful? Or will it still be a big doll in a quality rubber shell?
"Don't worry! Even if I end up turning into a Terminator, I'll still treat you well. I'll keep you warm and safe in my human zoo," one of Dr. Hanson's first androids tells Philip K. Dick. in a short video from five years ago.
Ecology of cognition: Robotic humanoid head nicknamed Ham, capable of recognizing and responding to human facial expressions
A robotic humanoid head nicknamed Ham, capable of recognizing and responding to human facial expressions, establishing eye contact and engaging people in simple conversation, became the center of attention at the Global Sources Electronics Fair at the AsiaWorld Expo in Hong Kong last week. The Global Sources Electronics Fair is the world's largest exhibition showcasing the latest advances in electronics.
The robotic head is remarkably similar to its human counterpart - eyebrows, cheeks and lips accurately imitate human facial expressions. Incredibly lively eyes that follow your movement around the pavilion are made of a special plastic material called Frubber (“rubber flesh”).
Created by robotics expert David Hanson, Ham runs on specialized software and hardware to recognize and respond to different human facial expressions. The natural language processing engine allows the robot to answer simple questions and even engage people in conversation.
The robot's face even has micropores ranging in size from 4 to 40 nanometers. Multiple motors help Ham reflect joy or sadness.
Hanson Robotics founder, president and chief designer David Hanson calls Ham a breakthrough in the development of humanoid robots. According to him, in the future, robots like Ham will be used in the fields of medicine, education and entertainment. For example, in hospitals they could be used as nursing assistants to work with autistic children. Robots can be programmed to perform repetitive tasks, such as teaching young autistic people how to properly make eye contact with others and develop communication skills.
Autistic children often have to be taught using brute force memorization. A robot can be trained to respond by repeating the same movements over and over again. Such machines can increase nurses' productivity by 30 percent.
Hanson reportedly moved with his family to Hong Kong to pursue his dream of creating a new generation of humanoid robots “with realistic facial expressions and communication abilities.” Hong Kong has a developed robotics industry. It is cheaper to research, develop and produce robots here than in the US.
According to the South China Morning Post, Hanson is promoting a robotics center in Hong Kong Science Park.
Hanson Robotics is also run by a robot designer who has worked with Walt Disney and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the past. The company also creates animatronic models for theme parks.
Ham is the latest in Hanson Robotics' line of humanoid robots. The company presented its first robot in 2002 at the AAAI conference in Edmonton (Canada). At the 2003 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting, Hanson Robotics demonstrated the Kbot machine.
The next stage in the development of Hanson Robotics was the creation in 2005 of an “intellectual portrait” of science fiction writer Philip Kindred Dick. Hanson downloaded all of the author's works into a talking robotic head.
In 2009, at the Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference, the company showed a walking humanoid in the guise of physicist Albert Einstein. The robot, capable of copying human facial expressions, was developed by specialists from the University of California together with engineers from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
Hanson is currently working on a robotic portrait of Russian Dmitry Itskov, who seeks to achieve “digital immortality” by transferring his own consciousness into a robotic copy of himself. Ultimately, Hanson Robotics hopes to equip all of its humanoid robots with artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence is the most ambitious project in history. This is the science and engineering of the mind. Governments, companies and scientists must all be involved. No organization can achieve the desired result on its own - it requires greater cooperation and open source code. published
At the annual AsiaWorld Expo in Hong Kong, an unusual humanoid Ham (or rather, his head) with never-before-seen facial expressions was presented. It was developed by the famous robotic designer David Hanson, representing the company Hanson Robotics.
Ham stands out among his “brothers” with his unique facial expressions, which are almost no different from the facial expressions of a living person. In addition, it can answer many questions, which allows it to be used, in particular, in medicine.
The head is made of plastic porous nanomaterial Frubber, which is used in “soft” mechanical engineering. Pore size ranges from 4 to 40 nanometers. Ham owes his unique facial expressions to special software. He establishes visual contact with those who want to talk. Ham understands human speech quite well and can even engage in witty dialogue.
Ham is not the first such product. Before him, a robot was created with the head of A. Einstein, which demonstrated its facial expressions with the help of several special motors. David Hanson is confident that more advanced models will be suitable for everyday use in entertainment, healthcare and education.