Japanese robotics

File:HONDA ASIMO.jpg

ASIMO is a humanoid robot built by Honda.

Types of Robots

Humanoid Entertainment Robots

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

Androids

Androids are robots designed to strongly resemble humans.

Actroid is a realistic female robot demonstrated most prominently at Expo 2005 in Japan.
Hanako, a humanoid robot designed to be used in dentist training.^[1]
HRP-4C, a humanoid robot with a realistic head and the average figure of a young Japanese female. [3]

Animal (four legged) robots

File:AiboKids.jpg

Aibo playing with kids

AIBO is a commercial robotic dog manufactured by Sony Electronics.

Social robots

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

Guard robots

Guardrobo D1 is manufactured by Sohgo Security Services.
Banryu, manufactured by Sanyo and TMSUK.[4]

Domestic robots

SmartPal V, manufactured by Yaskawa Electric Corporation. [5]
TWENDY-ONE, developed by Waseda University. [6]
TPR-ROBINA, manufactured by Toyota. [7]

Mobility Robot

WL-16RIII, developed by Waseda University and TMSUK. [8]
i-foot, developed by Toyota. [9]
i-REAL, developed by Toyota. [10]
Murata Boy, developed by Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. [11]

Rescue robots

T-53 Enryu, manufactured by TMSUK. [12]

Industrial Humanoid Robotics

HRP-3 PROMET Mk-II, manufactured by Kawada Industries, designed by Yutaka Izubuchi. [13]
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 ABB (ASEA Brown-Boveri), the Austrian manufacturer igm Robotersysteme AG and the German company KUKA Robotics.

This includes the one used by the robot based automative production plants,known as assembly line robots.

Characteristics

The Japanese movie Robocon (2003) is a fictional account of an inter-school robot competition.

Robots' characteristics may vary with their specific applications. There are robots that are supposed to provide help to the elderly, robots that catwalk in fashion shows or robots that look like pets and make the children's best friends.

The main characteristic is their ability to move. Humanoid Japanese robots, those which resemble people the most are capable of walking and talking. They have however limited functions and they mainly do what they are programmed to.

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.^[2] CB2 may recognize the human touch which is possible thanks to the 197 film-like pressure sensors that are placed under its rubbery skin. 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 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.^[3]

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 tales 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.^[4]

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

Japanese engineers expect robots to be available for commercial household use by 2010. The domestic market for Japanese commercial and industrial robots may be as high as $8 billion dollars by this time [14].

Commercial applications of Japanese robots include any type of activity that a robot could do in a 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, 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 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 and dangerous creatures and they fear that their jobs could be taken by robots.

Japan is the country with the most industrial robot workers, over a quarter of a million robots mainly in an effort to reduce high labor costs and to support further mechanization of its industries. Robotics is to be for the Japanese economy in the 21st century what automobiles were in the 20th.^[5]

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

Japan is a country with a cultural background when it comes to robotics.

Among Japan's oldest robots are the karakuri ningyo, or mechanical dolls. Karakuri ningyo are believed to have originated in China. During the Edo period (1603-1867), Takeda-za developed a mechanical-puppet theater which flourished in Osaka's Dotonbori district.[15]

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 Ozamu Tezuka's imagination and is one of the most famous Japanese sci-fi robots.

In middle of 20 century, Ichiro Kato professor of Waseda University 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.[16]

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.^[6]

Approximately 700,000 industrial robots were used all over the world in 1995, from which 500,000 only in Japan.^[7]