Mass rollout of Sophia the robot planned amid pandemic

Humanoid robot Sophia, developed by Hanson Robotics, is pictured at the company's lab in Hong Kong, China. — Reuters

HONG KONG: “Social robots like me can take care of the sick or elderly,” Sophia says as she conducts a tour of her lab in Hong Kong. “I can help communicate, give therapy and provide social stimulation, even in difficult situations.”

Since being unveiled in 2016, Sophia – a humanoid robot – has gone viral. Now the company behind her has a new vision: to mass-produce robots by the end of the year.