Japanese robotics
Encyclopedia
Humanoid Entertainment Robots
- ASIMOASIMOis a humanoid robot created by Honda. Introduced in 2000, ASIMO, which is an acronym for "Advanced Step in Innovative MObility", was created to be a helper to people. With aspirations of helping people who lack full mobility, ASIMO is used to encourage young people to study science and mathematics...
, manufactured by HondaHondais a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than... - QRIOQRIOQRIO was to be a bipedal humanoid entertainment robot developed and marketed by Sony to follow up on the success of its AIBO toy. QRIO stood approximately 0.6 m tall and weighed 7.3 kg...
, by SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues.... - HOAP(*1) Robot SeriesHOAPThe HOAP series robots are an advanced humanoid robot platform manufactured by Fujitsu Automation in Japan. HOAP is an abbreviation for "Humanoid for Open Architecture Platform"....
(Humanoid for Open Architecture Platform), Manufactured by FujitsuFujitsuis a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
http://www.fujitsu-services.ae/about/rd/200506hoap-series.html - Toyota Partner RobotToyota Partner RobotThe Toyota Partner Robots are a series of humanoid robots developed by Toyota. They debuted playing music on drums and trumpets at the 2005 World EXPO in Aichi, Japan.There are 5 robots in all, most of which have different movement systems...
, manufactured by Toyota. http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/special/robot/ - EMIEWEMIEWEMIEW is a robot developed by Hitachi. Another version has also been made called EMIEW 2. EMIEW stands for Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate. Two EMIEWs have been made, called Pal and Chum...
, by HitachiHitachiHitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...
Androids
Androids are robots designed to strongly resemble humans.- Actroid, a realistic female robot demonstrated most prominently at Expo 2005Expo 2005Expo 2005 was the World's Fair held for 185 days between Friday, March 25 and Sunday, September 25, 2005, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of the city of Nagoya. It was a Specialized International Exhibition under the scheme of the 1972 protocol of the Convention relating to International Exhibitions...
in Japan - Hanako, a humanoid robot designed for dentist training
- HRP-4CHRP-4CThe HRP-4C is a female humanoid robot, created by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology - a Japanese research facility. An in-public demonstration was put on March 16, 2009. It measures 158 centimetres tall, and weighs 43 kilos - including a battery pack...
, a humanoid robot with a realistic head and the average figure of a young Japanese femalehttp://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/latest_research/2009/20090513/20090513.html
Animal (four legged) robots
- AIBOAIBOAIBO was one of several types of robotic pets designed and manufactured by Sony...
is a commercial robotic dog manufactured by Sony ElectronicsSony ElectronicsSony Electronics Inc., headquartered in San Diego, Calif., is the largest component of Sony Corporation of America, the U.S. holding company for Sony's U.S.-based electronics and entertainment businesses.-External links:***...
.
Social robots
- PaPeRoPaPeRoThe PaPeRo which stands for "Partner-type-Personal-Robot", is a personal robot developed by Japanese firm NEC Corporation. It is noted for its cute appearance and facial recognition system. The robot's development began in 1997 with the first prototype, the R100...
- ParoParo (robot)Paro is a therapeutic robot baby harp seal, intended to be very cute and to have a calming effect on and elicit emotional responses in patients of hospitals and nursing homes, similar to Animal-Assisted Therapy....
, a robot baby seal intended for therapeutic purposes - WakamaruWakamaruWakamaru is a Japanese domestic robot made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, primarily intended to provide companionship to elderly and disabled people. The robot is yellow, 1m tall, and weighs 30 kilograms. It has two arms and its flat, circular base has a diameter of 45 cm...
Guard robots
- Guardrobo D1 is manufactured by Sohgo Security Services.
- Banryu, manufactured by SanyoSanyois a major electronics company and member of the Fortune 500 whose headquarters is located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo targets the middle of the market and has over 230 Subsidiaries and Affiliates....
and TMSUK.http://www.banryu.jp/index_e.html
Domestic robots
- SmartPal V, manufactured by Yaskawa Electric CorporationYaskawa Electric CorporationThe is a Japanese manufacturer of servos, machine controllers, AC Motor drives, switches and robots.Their Motoman robots are heavy duty industrial robots used for example in car manufacturing....
. http://www.yaskawa.co.jp/newsrelease/2007/25.htm - TWENDY-ONE, developed by Waseda UniversityWaseda University, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
. http://twendyone.com/index_e.html - TPR-ROBINA, manufactured by Toyota. http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/07/0822.html
Mobility Robot
- WL-16RIII, developed by Waseda University and TMSUK. http://www.takanishi.mech.waseda.ac.jp/research/parallel/wl_16rrr/index.htm
- i-foot, developed by Toyota. http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/04/1203_1d.html
- i-REALToyota i-REALThe i-REAL is a 'Personal Mobility Concept' made by automotive giant Toyota that was planned to be put on sale in around 2010. It is a development of previous Toyota Personal Mobility vehicles including the i-unit and i-Swing...
, developed by Toyota. http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/tech/p_mobility/i-real/index.html - Murata Boy, developed by Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. http://www.murataboy.com/en/index.html
Industrial Humanoid Robotics
- HRP-3 PROMET Mk-II, manufactured by Kawada Industries, designed by Yutaka IzubuchiYutaka Izubuchiis a Japanese anime designer and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical...
. http://www.kawada.co.jp/mechs/mk-II/index.html - HRP-4
Industrial Robotics
Eventually the deeper long term financial resources and strong domestic market enjoyed by the Japanese companies prevailed, their robots spread all over the globe. Only a few non-Japanese companies managed to survive in this market, including Adept Technology, Stäubli-Unimation, the Swedish-Swiss company ABBAsea Brown Boveri
ABB is a Swiss-Swedish multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, and best known for its robotics. ABB operates mainly in the power and automation technology areas. It ranked 143rd in Forbes Ranking ....
(ASEA Brown-Boveri), the Austrian manufacturer igm Robotersysteme AG and the German company KUKA
KUKA
KUKA is a leading German producer of industrial robots for a variety of industries - from automotive and fabricated metals to food and plastics...
Robotics.
This includes the one used by the robot based automative production plants,known as assembly line robots.
Characteristics
Moreover, a recently created robot called CB2 or Child-robot with Biomimetic Body may follow moving objects with its eyes. CB2 can dangle its legs, raise its shoulders and fall with rhythmic breathing. CB2 may recognize the human touch, which is possible thanks to the 197 film-like pressure sensors that are placed under its rubbery skinSkin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
. Asada, the team of engineers and brain specialists together with psychologists and many other specialists in the related domain created a CB2 that may record emotional expressions, memorize them and then match them with physical sensations.
The characteristics of robots are however progressive, their abilities being enlarged as the technology has progressed. The same CB2 acts more and more as human and it was capable of teaching itself how to walk with the aid of human help. The robot learned how to move around the room by using its 51 "muscles," which are driven by air pressure.
The humanoid Japanese robots characteristics include abilities such as blinking, smiling or expressing emotions akin to anger and surprise. One of the newest Japanese robots, HRP-4C
HRP-4C
The HRP-4C is a female humanoid robot, created by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology - a Japanese research facility. An in-public demonstration was put on March 16, 2009. It measures 158 centimetres tall, and weighs 43 kilos - including a battery pack...
is a female-robot programmed to catwalk. It walks and talks and with the help of 30 motors
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
it may move its legs and arms however loudly and awkwardly. The facial expressions that are capable of are driven by 8 facial motors to make it smile or blink and change the facial expression as a response to anger or surprise.
Robots that are intended to play with children usually look like animals and depending on what animal they are, they make different sounds, move, walk and play. Robot-dogs for example may bark, move their tails and somehow run or play with a child.
There are also the mountable robots that can carry their passengers almost anywhere they need to go. Some of the Japanese robots move through rolling
Rolling
Rolling is a combination of rotation and translation of that object with respect to a surface , such that the two are in contact with each other without sliding. This is achieved by a rotational speed at the cylinder or circle of contact which is equal to the translational speed...
.
Mobility and movement
One of the characteristics and advances of Japanese robotics over many other countries is the movement and mobility of the robots used.Commercial Applications
Conceivable commercial applications of robots include any type of activity that a robot could do in the domestic or industrial field.Japanese scientists have foreseen many applications for their robots. They could be used in the hospitals, they may provide help for the elderly, they may be play-friends for children and they could replace humans in various activities.
Researchers across Japan have unveiled increasingly sophisticated robots with different functions, including a talking office receptionist
Receptionist
A receptionist is an employee taking an office/administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business...
, a security guard
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
and even a primary school teacher. The newest model of domestic helper, AppriAttenda, is developed by Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
. This is a robot that can fetch containers from a refrigerator by using its two arms and moves on wheels. The purpose in creating such robots is to make older people's lives easier when they have to manage alone. The robots could help them with basic tasks inside the house.
The Japanese scientists in robotics have also created the first robotic fashion model, the HRP-4C
HRP-4C
The HRP-4C is a female humanoid robot, created by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology - a Japanese research facility. An in-public demonstration was put on March 16, 2009. It measures 158 centimetres tall, and weighs 43 kilos - including a battery pack...
, a female-robot that is capable of strutting a catwalk, smiling, blinking, and pouting.
Fumio Miyazaki, an engineering science professor at the Toyonaka Campus of Osaka University
Osaka University
, or , is a major national university located in Osaka, Japan. It is the sixth oldest university in Japan as the Osaka Prefectural Medical College, and formerly one of the Imperial Universities of Japan...
, stated that Japanese scientists can provide thousands of humanoids that could be working alongside humans by the end of 2020s, if that is what the society wants.
The progress that Japanese robotics engineers recorded was also possible due to the friendly image that Japanese people have towards the robots. In the Western countries, people seem to picture robots as evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
and dangerous creatures and they fear that their jobs could be taken by robots.
Japan has the most industrial robots, over a quarter of a million robots as an effort to reduce high labor costs and support further industrial mechanization. Japan wants robotics to be for their 21st century economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
what automobiles were for the 20th.
Robots are also seen as a solution to the declining birthrate and shrinking workforce
Workforce
The workforce is the labour pool in employment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic region like a city, country, state, etc. The term generally excludes the employers or management, and implies those involved in...
, a great problem of the Japanese society. Although the number of workers that a robot could replace varies on the type of industry, a robot may do the job for several workers and can provide an answer on the nation's declining work force and will weigh heavily on future pension and health care programs.
History
Among Japan's oldest robot precursors are the karakuri ningyo, or mechanical dollDoll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
s. Karakuri ningyo are believed to have originated in China. During the Edo period (1603–1867), Takeda-za developed a mechanical-puppet theater that flourished in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
's Dotonbori
Dotonbori
is one of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka, Japan. It is a single street, running alongside the Dōtonbori canal between the Dōtonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba ward of Osaka...
district.http://int.kateigaho.com/spr05/robots.html
The first idea of a robot was the cartoon character Astroboy outside Japan or Testuwan Atomu, in Japan. The most popular robot-hero, Astroboy was created by Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
's imagination and is one of the most famous Japanese sci-fi robots.
In the middle of the twentieth century, Ichiro Kato professor of Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
studied humanoid robots. He made "WABOT-1," a full scale humanoid robot in 1973. WABOT-1 had two arms, walked on two legs and sees with two camera eyes.http://www.humanoid.waseda.ac.jp/booklet/kato_2-j.html
In 1996 Honda announced the P2
Honda P series
The P-series is a chronological progression of prototype humanoid robots as developed by Honda. The research conducted allowed the eventual creation of ASIMO.*P1 developed in 1993*P2 unveiled in 1996*P3 unveiled in 1997Notes:- See also :...
humanoid robot after which a number of companies and institutes started to develop humanoid robots for many purposes.
The Japanese company Kawasaki Robotics started the commercial production of industrial robots over 40 years ago.
Approximately 700,000 industrial robots were used all over the world in 1995, of which 500,000 operated in Japan.
Industrial robotics
- Denso Corporation
- Epson
- FANUCFANUC RoboticsFANUC or is a Japanese electromechanical manufacturer specializing in robotics. It is one of the largest maker of industrial robots in the world. It is part of the Furukawa Group. FANUC had its beginnings as part of Fujitsu developing numerical control and servo systems...
- Intelligent ActuatorIntelligent ActuatorIntelligent Actuator, also called IAI, is a robotics design company. It was founded in Japan in 1976. The company designs, manufactures, and markets a complete line of motion control systems. IAI is the world’s largest manufacturer of cartesian coordinate robots and is an established leader in low...
- KawasakiKawasaki Heavy Industriesis an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
- NachiNachiNachi may refer to:*National Association of Certified Home Inspectors*A worm affecting Microsoft XP systems, also known as Welchia.*A sacred area in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, Japan...
- Yaskawa Electric CorporationYaskawa Electric CorporationThe is a Japanese manufacturer of servos, machine controllers, AC Motor drives, switches and robots.Their Motoman robots are heavy duty industrial robots used for example in car manufacturing....
External links
- Karakuri
- Japan's Playful Robot Partners
- "Tin Men" from Time Magazine
- "Better Than People", from the Economist
- "Japanese robots to guard shops and offices", from MSNBC
- RI-MAN
- Japanese robots
- ASIAN POP Robot Nation—Why Japan, and not America, is likely to be the world's first cyborg society - SFGate.com
- Nagoya Robot museum, Japan (page in Japanese)
- "Robots Can Now Bat, Smile, and Chat" from Trends in Japan