Japanese robotics

In Japan, popular robots include humanoid entertainment robots, androids, animal robots, social robots, guard robots, and many more. Each type has a variety of characteristics.

Japan employs over a quarter of a million industrial robot workers. In the next 15 years, it's estimated that number will jump to over one million. The expected revenue for robotics by 2025 is close to $70 billion.^[1]

Types of robots

Humanoid robots

ASIMO, manufactured by Honda
QRIO by Sony
HOAP(*1) Robot Series (Humanoid for Open Architecture Platform), manufactured by Fujitsu^[2]
Toyota Partner Robot, manufactured by Toyota^[3]
EMIEW by Hitachi

Androids

Androids are robots designed to have a very strong resemblance to humans. These include:

Actroid, a realistic female robot demonstrated at Expo 2005 in Japan
Hanako, a humanoid robot designed for the training of dental professionals^[4]
HRP-4C, a humanoid robot with a realistic head and the figure of an average young Japanese female^[5]

Animal (four-legged) robots

AIBO is a commercial robotic dog manufactured by Sony Electronics.

Social robots

Musio
PaPeRo
Paro, a robot baby seal intended for therapeutic purposes
Wakamaru

Guard robots

Guardrobo D1, manufactured by Sohgo Security Services
Banryu, manufactured by Sanyo and TMSUK^[6]

Domestic robots

SmartPal V, manufactured by Yaskawa Electric Corporation^[7]
TWENDY-ONE, developed by Waseda University^[8]
TPR-ROBINA, manufactured by Toyota^[9]

Mobility robots

WL-16RIII, developed by Waseda University and TMSUK^[10]
i-foot, developed by Toyota^[11]
i-REAL, developed by Toyota^[12]
Murata Boy and Murata Girl, a bicycle-riding and a unicycle-riding robot (respectively) developed by Murata Manufacturing^[13]

Rescue robots

T-53 Enryu, manufactured by TMSUK^[14]

Industrial humanoid robots

HRP-3 PROMET Mk-II, manufactured by Kawada Industries, designed by Yutaka Izubuchi^[15]
HRP-4

Astronaut robots

Kirobo is Japan's first robot astronaut, used on the ISS since August 10, 2013.

Industrial robotics

The stronger long-term financial resources and strong domestic market enjoyed by the Japanese companies resulted in a greater worldwide market share for these companies, and Japanese robots came to dominate the international market. The few non-Japanese companies that have managed to survive in this market include Adept Technology, Stäubli-Unimation, the Swedish-Swiss company ABB (ASEA Brown-Boveri), the Austrian manufacturer igm Robotersysteme AG and the German company KUKA Robotics.

This includes the assembly line robots used by the robot-based automative production plants.

Characteristics

The recently created CB² (child robot with biomimetic body) can follow moving objects with its eyes.^[16] CB² may recognize the human touch, which is possible thanks to the 197 film-like pressure sensors that are placed under its rubber skin. Asada, the team of engineers, brain specialists, psychologists and other specialists in the related fields, created CB² so that it records emotional expressions, memorizes them and then matches them with physical sensations.

The characteristics of the robot are progressive, its abilities improving as technology improves. CB² acts increasingly human with time: 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 is a female-robot programmed to catwalk. It walks and talks and with the help of 30 motors 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.^[17]

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.^[18]

Mobility and movement

One of the characteristics and advantages of Japanese robotics over that of 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.

Researchers across Japan have unveiled increasingly sophisticated robots with different functions, including a talking office receptionist, a security guard and even a primary school teacher. The newest model of domestic helper, AppriAttenda, is developed by Toshiba. 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, 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, stated that Japanese scientists can provide thousands of humanoids that could be working alongside humans by the end of the 2020s, if that is what the society wants.

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 what automobiles were for the 20th.^[1]

Robots are also seen as a solution to the declining birthrate and shrinking workforce, 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 dolls. During the Edo period (1603–1867), Takeda-za developed a mechanical-puppet theater that flourished in Osaka's Dōtonbori district.^[19] The Japanese craftsman Hisashige Tanaka, known as "Japan's Edison", created an array of extremely complex mechanical toys, some of which were capable of serving tea, firing arrows drawn from a quiver, or even painting a Japanese kanji character. The landmark text Karakuri Zui (Illustrated Machinery) was published in 1796.^[20]

In 1928, the Gakutensoku robot was designed and constructed by biologist Makoto Nishimura.^[21] A popular fictional robot was the cartoon character Astroboy, or Tetsuwan Atomu in Japan. The popular robot-hero, Astroboy, was created by Osamu Tezuka's imagination and is a famous Japanese sci-fi robot.

In the mid-20th century, Ichiro Kato professor of Waseda University studied humanoid robots. He initiated the WABOT project in 1967, and in 1972 completed the WABOT-1, the world's first full-scale humanoid intelligent robot. WABOT-1 had two arms, walked on two legs, and sees with two camera eyes.^[22] It was thus the first android. Its limb control system allowed it to walk with the lower limbs, and to grip and transport objects with hands, using tactile sensors. Its vision system allowed it to measure distances and directions to objects using external receptors, artificial eyes and ears. And its conversation system allowed it to communicate with a person in Japanese, with an artificial mouth.^[23]^[24]^[25] Japan has since been leading the field of robotics.^[26]

In 1996, Honda announced the P2 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.^[27]

Approximately 700,000 industrial robots were used all over the world in 1995, of which 500,000 operated in Japan.^[28]

In 2012, between 1,235,000 and 1,500,000 industrial robots were in use.^[29]