" It is great to receive such recognition among a host of worthy and interesting businesses."
David Graves
A TECH firm run by a family from Knowle has been listed by a national magazine as a pioneer in its field.
GWS Robotics has been named as one of the Business Leader Magazine’s top 32 South West ‘tech’ businesses.
The firm is a subsidiary of GWS Media, which was set up by David Graves. David was later joined by his father, Richard, then more recently by his brother, Philip.
David, a Cambridge University graduate who has worked as a computer programmer for nearly two decades, said: “It is great to receive such recognition among a host of worthy and interesting businesses.”
The list of businesses, which are said to be ‘shaping the future,’ includes a range of firms – from engineering to virtual reality.
GWS Robotics works to customise Pepper, a humanoid robot which can ‘understand’ emotions, so that he can be used as part of a company’s marketing and customer service.
Creative director David said: “Pepper attracts attention – keeping people informed and entertained. He can also capture customer details and build up leads as well as cross-sell.”
David believes Pepper, which was created by SoftBank Robotics, will particularly appeal to hotels and shops.
The four foot tall robot can dance, laugh, talk and even ‘feel’ – as it adapts to the way people react, which is an amazing developmental leap in the field of robotics.
David, who previously worked as a digital journalist for Extel Financial, which is part of the Financial Times, said: “We believe the next big thing for business is having a walking, talking robot – as they are no longer restricted to the laboratory.”
The Business Leader has launched the Go:Tech Awards, with winners to be announced in November. Innovators, entrepreneurs and pioneers are invited to apply.
· For more information, visit: https://gotechawards.com/