Hong Kong is using its proximity to manufacturers on the Chinese mainland to build up its expertise in robotics and is investing in more local talent and luring foreign companies to bolster the local industry.
Hong Kong Science and Technology Park has identified robotics as a core area of focus and is helping related companies move to the city or base their research and development labs there.
While the University of Hong Kong’s HK$15 million (US$1.94 million) robot Atlas stumbled and flunked out of a recently held international competition, these five locally-based firms are making strides in the field.
Hanson Robotics
Hanson Robotics, which is responsible for the human-like robots Han and Sophia, relocated to Hong Kong from Texas in 2014. The two robots, which can speak and interact with humans using artificial intelligence, are being developed for use with the elderly or people with autism. Beyond their ability to talk and make true-to-life facial expressions, the robots look even more human-like thanks to a proprietary rubbery nanomaterial that is used to replicate skin called Frubber.
DJI
The world’s largest drone manufacturer is the one that got away for Hong Kong after its mainland Chinese founder failed to find government support in the city and opted for a base in Guangdong’s Shenzhen. But now it is back with a new research and development base at Hong Kong Science and Technology Park. Valued at around US$10 billion, DJI controls 70 per cent of the global market for civilian drones.
