Photos: Meet Grace, the healthcare robot COVID-19 created

It is designed to interact with the elderly and those isolated by the COVID-19

Published: June 09, 2021 15:18 Reuters and compiled by Balaram Menon, Senior Web Editor

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The Hong Kong team behind celebrity humanoid robot Sophia is launching a new prototype, Grace (pictured), targeted at the healthcare market and designed to interact with the elderly and those isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Dressed in a blue nurse's uniform, Grace has Asian features, collar-length brown hair and a thermal camera in her chest to take your temperature and measure your responsiveness. She uses artificial intelligence to diagnose a patient and can speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Image Credit: REUTERS

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"I can visit with people and brighten their day with social stimulation ... but can also do talk therapy, take bio readings and help healthcare providers," Grace told Reuters as she stood next to her "sister", Sophia, in creator Hanson Robotics' Hong Kong workshop. Image Credit: REUTERS

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An engineer works next to the bust of humanoid robot Grace. Grace's resemblance to a healthcare professional and capacity for social interaction is aimed at relieving the burden of front-line hospital staff overwhelmed during the pandemic, said founder David Hanson. Image Credit: REUTERS

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An engineer adjusts the head of humanoid robot Grace. "A human-like appearance facilitates trust and natural engagement because we are wired for human face-to-face interactions," Hanson said, explaining how Grace can simulate the action of more than 48 major facial muscles, and has a comforting demeanour designed to look a little like anime characters, often a fusion of Asian and Western styles. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Awakening Health intends to mass-produce a beta version of Grace by August, said David Lake, chief executive of the joint venture between Hanson Robotics and Singularity Studio, and there are plans to fully deploy her next year in locations including Hong Kong, mainland China, Japan and Korea. Image Credit: REUTERS

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The cost of making the robots, now akin to luxury car pricing, will decrease once the company is manufacturing tens or hundreds of thousands of units, Hanson added. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Grace's launch comes as the global impact of the coronavirus has made the need for humanoid robots urgent, said Kim Min-Sun, a communicology professor at the University of Hawaii. Image Credit: REUTERS

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Stuck at home during COVID-19 lockdowns, many people have had their mental states affected with negative thoughts. | Above: A 3D design layout of a head is pictured at Hanson Robotics' lab. Image Credit: REUTERS

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"If they can get help through the deployment of these social robots in intimate settings, certainly it will have a positive impact on society," she said. | Above: The model of a head is pictured at Hanson Robotics' lab in Hong Kong. Image Credit: REUTERS

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