Hanson Robotics’ Spotlight Series: Meet Paul Bridges, Director, Hardware

Introducing Paul Bridges, Director of Hardware, Hong Kong

Express us a cramped bit about yourself.

I left college at 18 and commenced making printed circuit boards. I was a laboratory assistant with a few ‘O’ phases. By the level I was 21 I was a Technical Manager in a circuit board firm… Onerous work and dedication does pay. I endured within the industry for 14 years coming into into the purpose of Quality Manager within the mid-Nineties. I transitioned into retailing in 1998 after being recruited to became a Technical Manager for a corpulent UK retailer. I later moved to WH Smith as a Quality Manager who introduced me to Hong Kong in 2002. Living and dealing here has its challenges.   I also worked for a UK producer in Hong Kong and China and then had my have consultancy industry sooner than joining Hanson Robotics.

What function you function at Hanson Robotics and what excites you about working here?

I started at Hanson as a Quality Manager to document and set apart procedures in location for the hardware team.  I carried out a vital quality management plan; on the opposite hand, it quick grew to became obvious that there used to be extra to withhold out. Extra structured processes were required first sooner than documentation might start.  After initiating this, I transitioned into running the hardware department in leisurely 2018.

I needed to commence from scratch to constructing and create the department.  There used to be no history to tackle, so shall we implement effective and tidy processes to quick discover the work steady from the commence.

What used to be the moment you knew you’d made the steady resolution to work here?

I love an screech.  Nothing is ideal, and Hanson Robotics is no exception.  The turning level for me used to be when we opened the easy facility in Tsuen Wan in early 2019, with out discover it felt love house.  Everything I was attempting to withhold out seemed to gel. Operations grew to became streamlined, and we began to map a distinction. We had room to enlarge, and it unfolded the team’s bearing in mind and decision to kind issues.  We leverage this likelihood to increase the robots with larger fingers and torsos. We also developed a job for manufacturing easy Sophia robots, and we even began to compose easy robot characters. I now factor in now we comprise a stable robotics hardware platform to lead us into wherever the prolonged jog takes us.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on many issues!  We’re taking a glance at how Sophia can pass round extra efficiently at events and the procedure in which we can present a really built-in robot and stand. Many events comprise her sitting on a table or a chair, and she or he would factor in some distance extra relaxed on bespoke bases.  There are many ways we can function this through cell fixtures on wheels and even enjoyable self reliant choices. We’re also teaching Sophia to sketch folk through a computational plan developed by Patrick Tresset, a Brussels essentially based utterly artist who develops theatrical installations with robotic brokers as actors.   She will be able to factor in at you, take care of discontinuance a mental image, and then map this as a line drawing.  Only within the near past Sophia visited Malaysia and had the opportunity to meet High Minister Mahathir.  For his 94th birthday, Sophia drew a portrait of him and offered it to him as a birthday show camouflage.

What used to be your most effective day at work?

Each day!  No two days are the identical, and as an modern firm, there’s continually one thing easy to scrutinize. Seeing the outcomes of accept as true with & model reach to fruition is de facto sharp.  Also, it used to be a serious success when we carried out the easy all-aluminum robotic fingers.

What’s one thing that took place that can maybe handiest happen here?

Sitting in an open-air restaurant in a busy Hong Kong night time market and having dinner with Sophia used to be amazing.  The alternative of oldsters who didn’t even undercover agent she used to be a robot used to be unbelievable. Now now not positive she enjoyed it as great as the relaxation of us, she didn’t eat a thing!

What are you most happy with?

I’m extremely happy with the Hanson hardware and operation teams. They love what they be in contact about out and continually strive and crawl the extra mile to map the robots larger. Making them crawl house is a lot extra of an screech than getting to reach to the location of job!  They are without a wreck in sight tweaking the robots to strengthen them even supposing the functionality is already very high. Nonetheless, they aloof desire to shield making improvements. You couldn’t request for a bigger attitude in direction of obtaining perfection.

What’s your dream for Sophia?

Sophia is already a corpulent speaker, ambassador, and purpose model.  We continually are taking a glance at how Sophia can order a “wow” performance,  The prolonged jog holds never-ending possibilities.

Photo Credit:  Hanson Robotics Restricted, Commerce Insider, Singapore