Push Admin

Meet Grace, the healthcare robot COVID-19 created

Article (news)

Joyce Zhou, Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/06/09/health-coronavirus-hong-kong-robot.jpg"/><figcaption>Humanoid robot Grace, developed by Hanson Robotics and designed for the healthcare market to interact and comfort the elderly and isolated people, especially those suffering during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, is seen at the company&#x27;s lab in Hong Kong, China June 8, 2021. <em>Joyce Zhou, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>HONG KONG - The Hong Kong team behind celebrity humanoid robot Sophia is launching a new prototype, Grace, targeted at the healthcare market and designed to interact with the elderly and those isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>Dressed in a blue nurse&#x27;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.</p><p>&quot;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,&quot; Grace told Reuters as she stood next to her &quot;sister&quot;, Sophia, in creator Hanson Robotics&#x27; Hong Kong workshop.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/25/21/makers-of-sophia-the-robot-plan-mass-rollout-amid-pandemic">Makers of Sophia the robot plan mass rollout amid pandemic</a></li></ul><p>Grace&#x27;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.</p><p>&quot;A human-like appearance facilitates trust and natural engagement because we are wired for human face-to-face interactions,&quot; Hanson said, explaining how Grace can simulate the action of more than 48 major facial muscles, and has a comforting demeanor designed to look a little like anime characters, often a fusion of Asian and Western styles.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Grace&#x27;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.</p><p>Stuck at home during COVID-19 lockdowns, many people have had their mental states affected with negative thoughts.</p><p>&quot;If they can get help through the deployment of these social robots in intimate settings, certainly it will have a positive impact on society,&quot; she said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/classified-odd/08/30/20/robot-eases-loneliness-of-mexican-virus-patients">Robot eases loneliness of Mexican virus patients</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/04/14/20/ust-engineer-creates-robot-to-assist-covid-19-medical-frontliners">UST engineer creates robot to assist COVID-19 medical frontliners</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1690076" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The Hong Kong team behind celebrity humanoid robot Sophia is launching a new prototype, Grace, targeted at the healthcare market and designed to interact with the elderly and those isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic.<br /> </p>

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

Meet Grace, the healthcare robot COVID-19 created

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Lifestyle

Meet Grace, the healthcare robot COVID-19 created

Joyce Zhou,

Reuters

Published Jun 09, 2021 02:11 PM PHT

Read More:

ANC

Grace robot

robot

COVID-19 robot

healthcare robot

Sophia robot

Hong Kong

COVID-19

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.