Japanese robotics

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Japan is the premier robotics designer and producer in the world [1], having created a number of entertainment and industrial robotics through commercial production and research. Honda and Sony are developing human-like robots which will have both commercial and industrial applications. Honda is in the process of perfecting the ASIMO and Sony has a similar model called the QRIO.

Contents 1 History of Japanese Robotics 2 Types of Robots 2.1 Entertainment robots 2.2 Humanoid Robots 2.2.1 Androids 2.3 Animal (four legged) robots 2.4 Social robots 2.5 Guard robots 2.6 Domestic robots 2.7 Industrial Robotics 3 Characteristics of Japanese robotics 3.1 Mobility and movement 4 Commercial Applications 5 Japanese robotics companies 5.1 General robotics 5.2 Industrial robotics 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] History of Japanese 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.[2]

[edit] Types of Robots

[edit] Entertainment robots

QRIO

ASIMO

[edit] Humanoid Robots

• ASIMO, Manufactured by Honda
• QRIO
• HOAP(*1) Robot Series (Humanoid for Open Architecture Platform), Manufactured by Fujitsu [3]

[edit] Androids

Androids are robots designed to strongly resemble humans.

• Actroid is a realistic female robot demonstrated most prominently at Expo 2005 in Japan.

[edit] Animal (four legged) robots

• AIBO is a commercial robotic dog manufactured by Sony Electronics.

[edit] Social robots

PaPeRo

[edit] Guard robots

• Guardrobo D1 is manufactured by Sohgo Security Services.

[edit] Domestic robots

[edit] 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. Assembly line robots

[edit] Characteristics of Japanese robotics

This includes, the ideas of what Japan sees in robotics. The future of robotics such as gaining more role in production etcetera, this also includes AI.

[edit] Mobility and movement

One of the characteristics and advancement of Japanese robotics from the others is the movement and mobility of the robots used.

[edit] 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 [4].

[edit] Japanese robotics companies

[edit] General robotics

• Sony Corporation
• Honda
• Toyota
• ZMP

[edit] Industrial robotics

• Denso Corporation
• Epson
• FANUC Robotics America
• Intelligent Actuator
• Kawasaki
• Nachi
• Nidec Sankyo
• Yaskawa Electric Corporation

[edit] See also

• Baseball batting robot

[edit] 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)