Furhat (robot)

2018: Output of the robot to the market

At the end of November, 2018 the Swedish company Furhat Robotics released the robot for a training of social interactions. One of the first scopes of application became training of consultants in communication with dissatisfied buyers.

Developers equipped the robot with the wide angle camera with high resolution, stereoloudspeakers and high-quality microphones to use as the interactive robot for in-plant training. Projecting different persons on the three-dimensional mask, the Furhat robot can change in the adult man, the woman, the child or even in an animal. He is capable not only to speak and listen, but also to support visual contact with the user and even to show emotions, imitating a customer behavior in different situations – the dissatisfied buyer in shop, the person who came to an interview, or the client to whom the worker is forced to tell bad news.

The robot helps the user to develop a flexible template of behavior for difficult situations of social interaction long before those really happen, and successfully to be prepared for them. In such kinds of activity where personal contact with various audience – an everyday occurrence, the robot similar to Furhat can really help users to avoid excess stresses and as much as possible to perfect skills before the direct beginning of work.

The Furhat robot training sellers to communication with dissatisfied buyers

Besides, according to the CEO of Furhat Robotics, their robot distinguishes a powerful and versatile complex of the software which allows developers to create the most advanced applications in the world for social robots.

The Furhat robot already passed tests and went on sale. Its cost depends on complexity of a task which is set by the user for software developers.^[1]

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