Robots
Good-natured, fast-evolving buddies
People in Japan probably like robots more than anyone. One reason is that everyone is familiar with the sort of industrial robot that made big leaps in performance when Japan’s economy was growing rapidly. Even today, Japan is still considered the world leader in technology for the machines that build other machines—robots that manufacture items like car parts and machinery—and has over half the global market share in this area. Instead of being designed as general purpose units, these robots are specialized for specific operations. And they are continuing to evolve, becoming able to use increasingly advanced and precise manufacturing techniques.
Another area of robotics associated with Japan is the humanoid, an area where designers attempt to make robots that mimic humans. People have become fond of humanoid robots through Japan’s subcultures, including the robots depicted as friends in manga or anime such as Tetsuwan Atom (Astro Boy) and Doraemon. That familiarity is another reason why people feel closer to robots than to simpler machines.
Industrial robots
One of the crowning achievements of Japan’s industrial robots is the precision machining technology represented by Fanuc’s Robodrill, a compact machining center used for manufacturing metal shells for smartphones and similar applications. Another strong point is the growing compatibility between industrial robots and human operators, as represented by Denso’s VS-050_H2O2 arm robot, which is designed to be safe and hygienic so that it can work in close proximity to people.
Assistive robots
Exoskeleton suits for medical and nursing care applications—such as Cyberdyne’s HAL, claimed to be the world’s first cyborg-type robot—are another area where Japan has high hopes at a time when the country’s society is ageing. HAL is an assistive robot, capable of providing assistance to elderly or handicapped people by augmenting, restoring, enhancing, or supporting physical abilities.
Humanoids
Humanoid robots, which draw mixed reactions around the world when they blur the borders between living beings and machinery, is another area where there has been a great deal of development in Japan. A variety of approaches has been used in the pursuit of reality, leading to some humanoids reaching the stage where they are visually very close to humans in appearance, and others having movements that closely reproduce human motion. The Japanese view of such robots is of course influenced by traditional aesthetics that consider abstract reproductions and photorealistic reproductions to be equally beautiful.
Shunji Yamanaka’s robots
Shunji Yamanaka is a Japanese industrial designer whose work has a firm base in both engineering and art. In addition to designing his own robots, he was involved in the development of NTT DoCoMo’s Osaifu-Keitai mobile payment system and the automated railway ticket barriers for the Suica system, making a significant contribution to solutions for interfacing between humans and machines. An exhibition curated by Yamanaka is scheduled to tour the three JAPAN HOUSE cities.
