We reported about a motorized knee being developed at Tsukuba University in Japan just yesterday. That and HAL-5, the famous robot suit that lets paralyzed people walk through brain signal control and which was developed at the same university, seem to be just the beginning of the way to merge man and machine.
The Kobayashi Lab [JP] at the Tokyo University of Science has now come up with the… → Read More
The researchers at Japan’s Tsukuba University seem to be particularly active when it comes to enhancing human body functions. This is the institution where the famous robot suit HAL-5 was developed and now we have another invention that can help boost the efficiency of our bodies – if that’s what we want and need, that is.
A research team at said university has constructed a “motorized knee”… → Read More
We all knew this day would come and we all knew this would happen first in Japan. And local department store chain operator Sogo & Seibu is ready to make it possible: You can soon buy robots who look exactly like you. Right, life-size humanoids.
The company isn’t that sure about its idea though as it plans to offer just two robots for the time being. Sogo & Seibu says they’ll start… → Read More
Japan’s robot otaku can soon lay their hands on yet another of those electro-mechanical marvels, but this time the robot isn’t cute. No, this new model, made by Tokyo-based robot venture Poseidon, is supposed to be mean for a change. And its name (Mad Hurricane) is pretty bad ass, too.
Mad Hurricane can perform a number of motions: walk in four directions, swirl to the right or left, stand up by… → Read More
Japanese conglomerates Fuji Heavy Industries, Sumitomo and Subaru are developing a new robot [JP, PDF] that’s able to clean office buildings autonomously. The yet to be named robot (pictured on the left) is sized at just 50x45x80cm, meaning it’s able to maneuver even along narrow paths. Its functions include vacuuming the floors and picking up garbage. → Read More
A research group from Japan’s University of Electro-Communications has developed a mini robot that’s able to move freely inside water and gas pipes with a diameter of 10cm or more. The robot can climb up and down pipes as long as they are made of iron as it uses a magnet for its magic. → Read More
As a huge conglomerate, NEC is active in a lot of areas. But unknown to many people outside Japan, the company is quite aggressive in the robotics field, too. Their PaPeRo, a cute helper robot, for example, has been around since 1997 already. And now, just in time for a robot exhibition that currently takes place in Tokyo, the company shows an updated version of the little guy. → Read More
Tokyo-based (and globalized) bearing supplier NSK has announced [JP] the development of an autonomous mobile robot that one day will be able to assist people in wheel chairs. The main selling point of the so-called “Human Assist Guidance Robot” is that it can detect obstacles and guide users through them. And uneven surfaces or slopes aren’t a problem either. → Read More
HUBO Walking! HUBO Taichi! HUBO with sword! HUBO aiming for your heart and lungs! → Read More
Meet AIDA, the Affective Intelligent Driving Assistant. This is a prototype robot that utilizes sensors inside and outside the car to create “a platform comprising of a personal robot and an intelligent navigation system that aims to bring an innovative driving experience.” I don’t own an automobile, so practically every driving experience is innovative to me right now! Rather than traditional… → Read More
The Future University (cool name) in Hakodate, Northern Japan, presented the Ikabo, a giant squid robot at the Digital Contents Expo in Tokyo (that ended on Sunday). Not only is the robot tall (2.2m), cute and pretty heavy (weight: 200kg), but it also mimics your hand movements via Wii motion controllers. → Read More
Japan has produced many humanoids in the past years, but making them move in one way or the other is usually a challenge. Kyoto-based Robo Garage has unveiled Ropid [JP] today, a mini robot that runs on two legs and can jump as high as 8cm. → Read More
Robots now enter the agriculture industry, too. First the award-winning rice-transplanting robot, now this: Major Japanese conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries has developed an agricultural robot that can tend fields autonomously. → Read More
Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology has showcased its most spectacular robot at the Digital Contents Expo in Tokyo today, the “cybernetic human” HRP-4C. The humanoid can’t move her legs, but the way she moves her arms, head and facial muscles is unbelievably human-like. Or you could say unbelievably creepy. → Read More
First the dish washing robot, then an assist cart robot: It was a big day for Panasonic’s robot division. This cart robo, a one-seater, is specifically designed for use in hospitals and nursing homes where it’s supposed to move medical equipment and things like wheelchairs. → Read More
We have reported about a number of household robots from Japan in the past. Those machines covered areas like preparing sushi or pancakes, cleaning the house or the toilet. Last December, we reported about a kitchen robot that’s able to do your dishes without breaking them. And today, Panasonic showcased an updated version of that very robot in Tokyo. → Read More
No pictures for this yet, but after conquering nursing homes, schools and hospitals, Japan’s robots are finally ready to get into office spaces, too. Fujitsu’s new and yet to be named gofer robot is an all-round talent, designed to be used mainly during office hours. It can move among the staff and actually gets work done as well. → Read More
Japan-based Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) and robot venture Vstone have announced the joint development of a mini humanoid [JP] that’s able to handle objects dexterously through a remote control. The so-called Robovie-PC is already on sale in Japan and costs $4,500. → Read More
The so-called Fukitorimushi (“wipe-up bug” in Japanese), a cleaning robot of a very special kind, has been around for quite a while now. But what was showcased recently during a tech exhibition in Tokyo was the newest version. And the thing is still creepy as hell. → Read More
Way back in March I wrote about the HRP-4C robot that walks and talks. At CEATEC today I saw this thing in person. And now it sings! Watch the video! → Read More
Another week, another healthcare robot coming put of Japan (and this is generally a good thing). This new model, named Taizou [JP], is developed by the country’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and was unveiled today. Its purpose is to motivate the elderly to exercise more in order to prevent diseases and stay young mentally. → Read More
Japan is the nation of robots. Everybody knows that. It’s also the nation of cell phones. So why not mix robots and cell phones? That’s what the country’s second biggest mobile phone provider KDDI au thought and today presents the iida Polaris, a robotic cell phone [link in English], for the first time (click here for my iida concept photo report from April). → Read More
One of the fields in which robotics really makes sense is healthcare, where Japan is certainly the most productive country. And now we get another healthcare robot, created by a company called Japan Logic Machine. → Read More
The second robot coming out of Japan today is pretty cool, too, even though it’s not as useful as the first: Phasma is its name, and it’s an insect-like mini robot that sports six legs and can be remote-controlled. Developed by a Tokyo-based design and engineering company called takram, Phasma’s main purpose is to imitate an insect’s movements. → Read More
DiGORO is certainly not the first robot taking care of household chores out there, but it’s definitely one of the coolest. Developed by a team of researchers at Honda Research Institute and other Japan-based organizations, the robot is capable of imitating human movements like wiping or moving objects from one place to another. → Read More
It’s no secret Japan is totally obsessed with robots, rolling out awesome humanoids, robotic cars, pets and toys on a regular basis. But robo-plants, such as the newly developed Himawari (sunflower in Japanese), can be considered quite unique, even by Japanese standards. → Read More
Panasonic sure knows how to market their stuff. First the company made its cute Evolta robot hoist itself up a 500 meter-cliff at Grand Canyon last year to show off the power of the Evolta batteries. Now the little guy (Mr. Evolta) turned into a tricycling robot and is ready to take on [JP] the famous Le Mans 24 Hours circuit in France. → Read More
The Prime-8 is a cute robot from Bossa Nova that can shoot missiles and pound you and your loved ones into submission. It is based on the HREX robot. → Read More
A robot venture from Japan called Cyberdyne (yes, just like the evil corporation in the Terminator movies) has been in the news for years now for its futuristic exoskeleton HAL-5, a wearable robotic suit that helps paralyzed persons walk and lift heavy objects.
Until now, the spectacular suit was marketed mainly in Japan, but today it came to light that Professor Sankai (the mastermind behind the… → Read More
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