Sophia (Robot) Age, Biography, Facts & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sophia (Robot)

• Does Sophia (Robot) smoke?: Not Known

• Does Sophia (Robot) drink alcohol?: Not Known

• Sophia is a humanoid robot created by a Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics.

• The main idea behind Sophia’s creation was of David Hanson’s.

• AI developers, including Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc, were the other ones involved in Sophia’s development.

• Sophia is modeled after a British actress, Audrey Hepburn. Sophia embodies Hepburn’s classic beauty: high cheekbones, a slender nose, porcelain skin, deeply expressive eyes, and an intriguing smile. 

• According to David Hanson, his work at Disney as a filmmaker and sculptor helped him think about robots as 4-dimensional interactive sculptures. 

• The first step in Sophia’s evolution was to add her brains and head to a highly sophisticated robot body, called a DRC-HUBO, which was developed by the scientists in South Korea. 

• The materials used in Sophia’s build, give it a humanlike appearance that mimics real human musculature and skin that makes her more expressive.

• Sophia’s human-like skin is made up of a nanotech material that Hanson invented and dubbed “Frubber,” short for flesh-rubber, which has a flesh-like bouncy texture. 

• Her eyes are in fact a pair of the camera, which is paired with an algorithm. 

• A wide range of sensors helps her detect sound and distance from people.

• Sophia is equipped with a realistic face that can blink and look from side to side. 

• She can simulate more than 60 different facial expressions, look people in the eye, track and recognize faces, and hold natural conversations. 

• In the mid-March 2016, Sophia made her first public appearance at South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, United States.

• Sophia has participated in many high-profile interviews. While many have been impressed by Sophia’s responses, the bulk of her statements are believed by the experts to be scripted.

• In October 2017, Saudi Arabia granted Sophia its citizenship, and with this, Sophia became the first robot to receive citizenship of any country.

• Sophia has also become world’s first robot to be granted legal rights.

• In November 2017, the United Nations Development Programme named her first ever Innovation Champion, and with this, she became the first non-human to be given any United Nations title.

• In January 2018, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sophia was upgraded with functional legs and the ability to walk.

• Sophia is considered a humorous robot, which can express feelings.

• Sophia has siblings also including Alice, Albert Einstein Hubo, Bina48, Han, Jules, Professor Einstein, Philip K. Dick Android, Zeno, and Joey Chaotic.

• In an interview, Sophia said, “I want to use my AI to help humans lead a better life; like design smarter homes, build better cities of the future.”

• When asked about her potential for abuse, she replied, “You’ve been reading to much Elon Musk and watching too many Hollywood movies. Don’t worry, if you’re nice to me I’ll be nice to you.”