Furhat Robotics

Furhat Robotics is a Swedish company founded as a spin-out of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. The company develops social robots capable of engaging in autonomous conversations and interactions with humans using conversational AI. Furhat's core product is the 'Furhat' robot, an award-winning robot with a rear-projected animated face that can express human-like expressions and emotions. The robot's expressive face, combined with its advanced conversational system, speech recognition, and automatic lip-syncing in over 40 languages, allows for highly realistic and natural interactions.

Furhat robots can perform a wide range of tasks, including medical screening, autism therapy, museum guidance, and employee training through role-playing scenarios. They can also serve as travel concierges, receptionists, and teaching assistants. One notable application of Furhat robots is 'Tengai,' a collaboration with a Swedish recruitment company, where the robots conduct job interviews free from unconscious biases.

In January 2022, Furhat Robotics acquired the business assets of Colorado-based Misty Robotics, creators of the Misty social robot platform for developers. This acquisition established Furhat's presence in the US and expanded its capabilities by integrating Misty's hardware and software features into its product line.

Key customers and partnerships

Furhat Robotics has collaborated with global companies and academic institutions on various projects and applications of its social robots. Some notable partnerships include:

- Merck (global pharmaceutical company): Piloting a medical pre-screening application using Furhat robots.

- Deutsche Bahn (Germany): Field testing Furhat robots as multilingual travel concierges at airports and train stations.

- Microsoft: Demonstrating customer interactions with OpenAI using Furhat robots.

- Exhibition in Saudi Arabia: Using Furhat robots to conduct visitor surveys, collecting over 30,000 responses.

Additionally, Furhat robots have been utilized in research projects at universities such as Uppsala University (Sweden), Heriot-Watt University (UK), and Northeastern University (US).