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Draft:Furhat (robot)

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Furhat
ManufacturerFurhat Robotics
CountrySweden
Year of creation2014
TypeSocial robot

Furhat is a back-projected humanoid social robot developed by the Swedish company Furhat Robotics. It is designed to facilitate face-to-face interaction between humans and machines, using a combination of projection technology, speech capabilities, and social behaviors to simulate lifelike conversations. It has been deployed in Europe, North-America, Japan and the Middle East in sectors including education, healthcare, recruitment, and transport, and has been used in studies of social robotics at major universities.[1]

Design and features

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Furhat consists of a 3D-printed humanoid bust with a translucent mask. Facial expressions are animated via internal projection, allowing for rapid persona changes and emotional expressiveness without mechanical actuators.[2][3] The robot’s face is customizable, enabling different identities to be used in various contexts.[4]

The robot has a human-like neck design, which means that it can mimic human head movement from side to side and up and down.[5] Furhat includes a 135-degree field-of-view camera and steoreo microphones and a speaker.[6] These features can detect user gaze, speech, and proximity, supporting turn-taking and multimodal awareness.[7] Its software platform supports speech recognition and synthesis in over 30 languages,[8] and developers can build conversational flows using a no-code or SDK interface.[9] Furhat also supports integration with external APIs and generative AI models such as OpenAI’s GPT-3.5.[10]

Furhat’s highly adaptable design has been widely studied as a model for socially intelligent robots, particularly in terms of its ability to simulate eye contact, emotional responses, and group engagement. More recent studies have explored design adaptation for personalization that might further enhance Furhat use and efficiency in educational and service contexts.[11]

Software and integration

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The Furhat robot operates using a modular software platform supported by an official Software Development Kit (SDK) and developer tools provided by Furhat Robotics.[12] Developers can build applications using a domain-specific language based on Kotlin, with built-in support for dialog flows, intent recognition, and multimodal interaction. The SDK includes a simulator that mirrors the robot’s behavior and facial animations, allowing for local testing before deployment. Furhat also provides a Remote API compatible with Python, C#, and JavaScript, enabling control of the robot from external systems over a network.[13] Applications can be developed using IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA, and integrated with third-party services such as Amazon Polly for speech synthesis and ElevenLabs for voice cloning and lip-sync.[14]

Applications

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Generation 1

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Used in academic and research contexts, including at:

Generation 2

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Incorporated hardware and software updates and was used in:

  • UK National Robotarium – public demonstrations as a GPT-powered receptionist.[19]
  • Bucharest Tech Week 2019 – interactive guide for visitors in a multilingual public exhibition setting.[20]
  • Museum guides, concierge services, and guided tours – used in public engagement contexts by organizations like Deutsche Bahn and the Saudi Ministry of Culture.[14]
  • Healthcare trials – applications in autism therapy, guided tours, and medical triage.[14]
  • University of Manchester (UK) – research in cognitive robotics and healthcare communication.[21]
  • University of Twente (Netherlands) – studies on bias and ethnic representation in human-robot interaction.[22]

Named deployments

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Several Furhat-based robots have been deployed in real-world applications across different industries. Notable examples include:

  • Tengai – Developed with the Swedish recruitment firm TNG, Tengai is a Furhat-based robot designed for structured, bias-aware job interviews. It uses the Furhat platform but has a distinct personality and dialogue model tailored for recruitment. In 2020, it was spun out into a separate company, Tengai AB.[23][24]
  • SEMMI – A multilingual travel assistant robot deployed by Deutsche Bahn at German train stations and Frankfurt Airport. It engages with travelers in multiple languages and was designed to enhance public-facing transportation services.[25]
  • FRAnny – A Furhat-based robot also used in airport settings, FRAnny is a localized version of SEMMI deployed at Frankfurt Airport for personalized assistance and concierge services.[26]
  • PETRA – A conversational health-screening robot developed by Furhat Robotics, the Merck Group, and the design agency Prototyp. PETRA conducts pre-screening interactions with users to detect signs of diseases such as psoriasis and depression.[27][28][29]
  • Basil– A robotic barista employed in an old-age home to study human-robot interaction with older adults.[30]
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Furhat has been featured in various media and demonstration settings. In one research study, the robot was programmed to display the face of former U.S. President Barack Obama as part of an experiment on non-verbal behavior.[31][32]

In 2018, the robot was profiled by the New York Post in an article that emphasized Furhat’s ability to express empathy, maintain eye contact, and encourage emotional openness.[33] It was also interviewed on The Millennial Way Show[34] and mentioned in an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver that explored the ethical and social implications of AI.[35]

In 2019, Furhat Robotics partnered with Bandai Namco to develop a robotic version of Mirai Komachi, a Japanese virtual pop idol. The collaboration used Furhat’s back-projection technology to animate Komachi’s expressive face and enable naturalistic, multilingual interaction. The robot was designed for public use in amusement parks and entertainment venues in Japan, merging anime aesthetics with social robotics to explore new forms of character embodiment and fan engagement.[36][37][38]

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www.furhatrobotics.com

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bloomberg. 'Swedish maker of Furhat social robot Acquires Misty Robotics.' https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-17/swedish-maker-of-furhat-social-robot-acquires-misty-robotics?embedded-checkout=true
  2. ^ "Furhat Robotics puts a new face on AI interactions". New Atlas. November 6, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  3. ^ "Start-up of the day: making social robots a reality". Innovation Origins. October 30, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  4. ^ Wong, Henry (2021-03-09). "How is the "world's most advanced social robot" designed?". Design Week. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
  5. ^ Thunberg, Sofia; Arnelid, Maria; Ziemke, Tom (December 2022). Older Adults' Perception of the Furhat Robot. HAI '22: International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction. Christchurch, New Zealand: Association for Computing Machinery. doi:10.1145/3527188.3561924. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  6. ^ Thunberg, Sofia; Arnelid, Maria; Ziemke, Tom (December 2022). Older Adults' Perception of the Furhat Robot. HAI '22: International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction. Christchurch, New Zealand: Association for Computing Machinery. doi:10.1145/3527188.3561924. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  7. ^ Sidner, C. (2005). "Explorations in Engagement for Humans and Robots". Artificial Intelligence. 166 (1–2): 140–164. arXiv:cs/0507056. doi:10.1016/j.artint.2005.03.005.
  8. ^ Tuominen, J. (2021). "Multilingual Speech Interfaces in Robotics". ACM Transactions on HRI. doi:10.1145/3431282.
  9. ^ "Furhat SDK Documentation". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  10. ^ "Furhat SDK Documentation". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  11. ^ Almutoory, Mohammed; Jiang, Xianta (January 2025). "A Human-Robot Interaction in Education: A Systematic Review of Furhat Robots' Role in Student Learning". Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Development Journal. 5 (1): 337–352. doi:10.52098/airdj.20255136.
  12. ^ "Furhat Robotics". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  13. ^ "Furhat SDK Documentation". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  14. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Furhat Robotics". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  16. ^ "The Innovator – Startup of the Week: Furhat Robotics". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  17. ^ "Human Conversations with a Robotic Head – TU Graz". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  18. ^ "Furhat Robotics". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  19. ^ "First-of-its-kind Robot Receptionist Is Like ChatGPT". Freethink. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  20. ^ "Social robot at Bucharest Tech Week". Romania Insider. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  21. ^ "Centre for Robotics and AI – University of Manchester". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  22. ^ "Furhat – BMS Lab – University of Twente". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  23. ^ "Furhat Robotics". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  24. ^ "The Innovator – Startup of the Week: Furhat Robotics". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  25. ^ "Artificial Intelligence at Deutsche Bahn". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  26. ^ "Social Robots: Mirokai, Tengai, PARO and SEMMI". Digital Effektiv. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  27. ^ "PETRA Project". Merck Group. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  28. ^ "Meet PETRA". Prototyp. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  29. ^ "Furhat and Merck Launch Disease-Detecting Robot". SSCI. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  30. ^ Barron, Peter (2025-03-27). "Meet Basil, the robot barista, serving up a new era for North East housing provider". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
  31. ^ Jonell, Patrik; Ekstedt, Erik; Kucherenko, Taras; Beskow, Jonas (August 2019). Learning Non-verbal Behavior for a Social Robot from YouTube Videos. International Conference (details not specified). Stockholm, Sweden: KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
  32. ^ Thunberg, Sofia; Arnelid, Maria; Ziemke, Tom (December 2022). Older Adults' Perception of the Furhat Robot. HAI '22: International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction. Christchurch, New Zealand: Association for Computing Machinery. doi:10.1145/3527188.3561924. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  33. ^ "This human-like robot wants you to open up". New York Post. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  34. ^ "Interviewing a social robot called Furhat on The Millennial Way Show". YouTube. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  35. ^ "Artificial Intelligence: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)". YouTube. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  36. ^ "Furhat Robotics". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  37. ^ "Social robots can help break gender norms". Uppsala University. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  38. ^ "PRISCA Lab – University of Naples Federico II". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
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