The Coming Robot Revolution (PDF)

Dr. David Hanson is the founder and Chairman/CEO of Hanson Robotics. He is an Artist/scientist who creates realistic humanoid robots (a.k.a. androids), which are noted for being conversationally intelligent, energy efficient, and designed as novel works of character art/animation. In 2005, the low-power mobility of Hanson's robots was demonstrated within the world's first expressive walking humanoid, an Einstein portrait called "Albert Hubo," appearing on the cover of WIRED magazine, Jan. 2006. Hanson's patented Frubber (Flesh-rubber) material makes this low-power mobility possible. In addition to hardware innovations, Hanson and his company (Hanson Robotics Inc., http://www.hansonrobotics.com/) are known for developing increasingly intelligent conversational personas, integrating many forms of artificial intelligence (AI) including speech recognition software, natural language processing, computer vision, and Hanson's own AI systems to hold naturalistic conversations. In 2005 Hanson and his team received an AAAI award for the intelligent conversational portrait of Philip K Dick [AI Magazine, fall 2005]. By simulating the integrated conversational human, such robots enable design studies of general intelligence in machines, paving a continuum toward true machine sentience over coming years. Hanson's robots have been extensively covered in the news media, including in the NY Times, Ubiquity, WIRED, Popular Mechanics, the Science Channel, Popular Science, the Discovery Channel, and many other media venues. Hanson has received awards in both art and engineering, including Cooper Hewwit Triennial award, National Science Foundation STTR award, and a TX Emerging Technologies Award. Hanson received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 1996, and his PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2007.

GRAPHIC ARTIST BIO

Ms. Adi Marom is a designer/artist with a Masters of Design Engineering from The University of Tokyo, Japan (2005) and a BA Design from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, Israel (1999). Her work experience includes working at the New York based Hoberman Associates - Transformable Design studio; the Tokyo based studio Landscape Products; as well as the Tel-Aviv based Studio de Lange. Ms. Marom's multidisciplinary practice includes graphic and product design. In this creative framework, she specialized in the design of innovative kinetic products based on folding mechanisms. Ms. Marom's Masters studies focused on the field of Biomimetics and addressed the challenge of applying natural deployable structures into man made objects. For instance, she applied the mechanical properties of carnivorous plants' traps in the design of artificial autonomous pets - sustainable by trapping organic substrates. Ms. Marom's designs have been featured in tradeshows and exhibitions around the world, garnering her international awards and media publications. Her designs have been exhibited at Milan's international furniture show "Salone International Del Mobile" (Italy 2001); the traveling exhibition "Domains - Contemporary Israeli Design Exhibition" (Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan and Australia 2002-2004), and "The Tokyo International Gift Show" (Japan 2005). Her works have been featured in international magazines such as Casa Brutus (Japan 2002); Binyan Ve Diyur (Israel 2004); Joong Ang Daily (Korea 2003). In addition, her illustrations were featured in the book "Biomimetics: Biologically-Inspired Technologies" by Dr. Yoseph Bar-Cohen (Ed.), CRC Press, November 2005.