Sophia notices as a passerby shoots her a curious, startled look. She gazes back at him as he walks out of the room. The next moment, a crowd has gathered around Sophia, eyes popping with amazement as she sports a puzzled frown, blinks and smiles.

But then Sophia is unlike any other woman, she is an android. And she is startlingly lifelike - a close-up of her exquisitely sculpted face even reveals the tiny pores on her smooth, tawny skin.

The secret behind Sophia's full range of facial expressions and humanlike complexion is "Frubber", coined from "flesh rubber", an elastic polymer invented by David Hanson, founder and chief technology officer of Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, the company behind this humanoid robot.

A built-in artificial intelligence system means Sophia can interact and socialize with people. She is now capable of detecting and understanding motion, facial expression and speech, and reacts to them just like humans do.

Hanson, the creator of Sophia, believes her humanoid appearance and social skills would be invaluable in scenarios ranging from medical treatment and therapy, to marketing, advertising and education.

Sophia is still, in Hanson's words, an "infant savant" - involved in a complicated process of developing humanlike consciousness.

She is not only aiming to serve, but to also build meaningful relationships. She is even learning to be compassionate, and is set to be the world's first sentient robot, if Hanson's ambitious plan works out.

"She'll become people's friend," Hanson said.

However, a humanoid robot may not be the first choice for someone looking for a friend. Some may even find the humanoid element disturbing, in a phenomenon that Japanese robotics professor Masahiro Mori has labeled "uncanny valley".

But Hanson argues that people feel a connection to lifelike figures, as they can read the expressions and body language of the robot.

He also points out that the humanlike form is "essential and indispensable", as the lifelike appearance, whether amusing or startling, can grab instant attention, which in turn can open up opportunities in marketing, education and entertainment.

The global robot market is expected to be worth $190 billion in 2020, and 85 percent of those will be service robots, according to the South Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

Hanson Robotics has set out to seize this opportunity with a plan to mass-produce Sophia.

It only took Sophia a few months to "grow" to her current level of maturity, but the technologies that laid the foundation for the birth of Sophia are the result of continuous research and development spanning more than two decades.

Hanson built his first humanlike robot in 1994 and has so far created over 50 models of robots. Some of the most recognizable faces among his collection are Albert Hubo, a replica of the physicist Albert Einstein, and Philip K. Dick - modeled on the late US science-fiction novelist.

Meanwhile, Zeno, a smaller childlike robot from Hanson Robotics with the appearance of an animation figure, has proved itself useful in autism research and treatment at the University of Pisa and the Dallas Autism Treatment Center.

Sophia is an amalgamation and an extension of all of her predecessors. Smaller in size and lighter in weight, Sophia will function with less energy. Moreover, it costs less to manufacture.

Hanson Robotics relocated its headquarters from the US state of Texas to Hong Kong last year, drawn by the region's robotics design talent and capacity for large-scale production.

"It requires the low-cost manufacturing and creativity of Hong Kong and South China for doing that (producing robots on a large scale)," Hanson said on the sidelines of the APAC Innovation Summit in Hong Kong in late June.

At the event, Hanson pointed out that the toy engineering industry in this region is robust but sorely "undervalued", as people take devices such as motors and digital control systems for granted.

"You look at toys and consumer products that are incredibly low-cost, you open them up and they are often more robust than NASA-grade engineering and just as sophisticated," Hanson said.

Therefore, Hong Kong, where design and manufacturing come together, has become the new base for Hanson Robotics. The company moved into Hong Kong Science Park - run by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp - with half its team of 25 people, while the rest of the team operates globally, including in the US and Africa.

As advanced robotics technologies and products, including exoskeletons and bio-inspired hardware, were gathered on the stage at the summit, Hanson was optimistic that the robotics industry could soon turn science fiction into reality.

"We combine these things together - physical robot bodies, expressive faces, artificial intelligence that can perceive you - and you add a little bit of artistry and theater to it, and you've got a real android. You've made a living, walking piece of science fiction."

"We can make it real," Hanson declared to the summit audience at Hong Kong Science Park with an ecstatic wave of his hand.

iris@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 08/20/2015 page9)