Robots. A word that has been familiar since childhood. Once upon a time it was only read from the pages of science fiction. Then it sounded on TV screens, and for some time now it has been actively used in everyday life. The dream, the pinnacle of creativity for people, has always been not industrial robots, in fact, well-developed machines, but rather complexly organized robots that could coexist next to a person: at work, at home, on the road, during entertainment; nanny robots, security robots, military robots. Japan rightfully takes the place of the leader among this particular direction. Below is a short essay on robotics in Japan.
History and modernity of robotics
In 1968, a significant event occurred: the Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. received a license to produce the robot from the American company Unimation Inc. and assembled her first industrial robot. Since then, Japan has steadily moved toward becoming the robot capital of the world, with more than 130 companies involved in its production. Originally designed in the United States, Japan's first robots were imported in small quantities. Engineers studied them and used them in manufacturing for specific jobs such as welding and spraying. In the 1970s, numerous practical applications in this field were developed.
1980 - commercial start for high-tech robots. From this point on, the market began to grow, despite the collapse that occurred in the Japanese economy and the fact that production (mainly Japanese consumer electronics) was moved overseas, which contributed to the decrease in domestic demand in the 90s. Gradually, the Japanese economy recovered and has been growing again since 2003.
Currently, Japan accounts for about 45% of the world's industrial robots. If we talk about absolute numbers, by the end of 2004, 356,500 industrial robots were used in Japan, with the United States of America (122,000 industrial robots) in second place by a significant margin. Japan also ranks first in the world in the export of industrial robots. Every year this country produces more than 60 thousand robots, almost half of which are exported.
This gap certainly makes the invasion of Japanese robots even more noticeable.
Feature of Japanese robots
First of all, it is worth touching on the concept of the “uncanny valley”, which was first mentioned by Japanese robotics professor Masahiro Mori in 1970. It concerns the relationship between how human-like a robot's actions are and how we see them.
The more human-like a robot is, the more positively we respond—until they act and look exactly like us. Then our level of empathy and acceptance drops and gives way to disgust. As robots become even more human-like, our acceptance and empathy are rapidly rising again.
This failure is the “uncanny valley” .
In other words, we feel sympathy and empathy for the robot dog Aibo, even more for the robots Pepper and ASIMO, until we completely encounter a humanoid android, among which are the most advanced robots today. And this is where the fun begins. There seems to be no clear answer to the question of what kind of robots live in the uncanny valley. As well as how Japanese robots differ from those living in other countries.
Financing and the robotics market
According to statistics, in 2004, an amount of 3.1 billion yen (about $25.8 million) was allocated from the state budget for the development of robotics. At the same time, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) planned to provide targeted assistance to manufacturers of new generation robots and introduce their developments into mass production as early as 2006-2007. As an experiment, by 2010 it was planned to create a “society of the future” where robots would coexist with people. The goal of the experiment is to turn robotics into one of the key sectors of the national industry, along with such a pillar as the Japanese automobile industry. In one of the METI reports, “Towards a New Industrial Structure,” which was released in May 2004, it was mentioned that robots were selected by the Japanese government as a key sector for industrial development.
It should be noted that most of the funding for development and production was undertaken by the largest electrical corporations in Japan, which are directly interested in the development of robotics - Fanuc Ltd., Yaskawa Electric Corp., Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Toshiba Machines Co., Okuma Corp., Mori Seiki Co., Makino Milling Machines Co., Hitachi Seiki Co.
Sales of robots and automated technology for the non-manufacturing sector were expected to reach 2.14 trillion yen ($20 billion) by 2010, more than double the sales of industrial robots. For comparison, in the last few years the market size was at the level of 500 billion yen ($4.2 billion). Sales in the robotics industry were expected to exceed $6 trillion in 2025. yen In parallel with meeting the growing need for cutting-edge industrial robots, Japanese manufacturers are working to improve the competitiveness of robots in the service sector, where there is a significant leap forward in terms of practical applications.
Why are robots popular in Japan?
If you live outside of Japan, you probably find the robots above a little creepy. One reason for the difference in reactions may be the cultural and religious differences between Japan and the West. Photographer Louise Whitton explored the world of Japanese robots in her project 'What About the Heart?'.
As part of the project, she spoke with several Japanese roboticists about how their country views robots. Professor Minoru Asada from Osaka University responded as follows:
“In Buddhism or animism, everything has a spiritual aspect, even machines. Machines are not created for fighting. We see partners or family members in cars. Therefore, we have no intention of creating like God. We just don't think so. We are thinking about how to create a partner.”
In a 1982 article in The New York Times, Henry Scott Stokes beautifully expressed this in the real life of the Japanese. He described how new industrial robots in Japan are often first blessed by Shinto priests, followed by a burst of applause from employees welcoming the “new member” of the team. Typically, Stokes wrote, workers greeted robots at the start of the workday by saying "ohayo gozaimasu" (good morning).
Imagine a similar scenario in 1982 at a GM or Ford auto plant. Funny.
These differences are reflected in modern media. Post-war Japan was introduced to androids by Star Boy, a small and helpful robot boy. The Western world received a Terminator in the person of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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Leader. Or not yet?
In the next 10 years, home robots are expected to become as commonplace as personal computers and cell phones in developed countries.
Japanese government support for the development of robotics will play a significant role in this. Currently in the Land of the Rising Sun there is a Humanoid Robotics Project (HRP) program worth over $37 million, which provides for the creation of mass-produced humanoid robots in the next few years. At the same time, new robots will take on not only routine operations, but will be able to help or even replace humans when performing hazardous work, as well as in construction, operating heavy equipment, or caring for elderly people and hospital patients. In Japan, intelligent machines are already being used as guards in warehouses, food tray dispensers in hospitals, and couriers in offices.
The Japan Robotics Association estimates that about 11,000 service robots were produced in 2002, 65% of which were intended for hospitals and nursing homes. The association predicts that by 2005 the Japanese market for patient care robots alone would reach $250 million, and by 2010 it would grow to $1 billion.
However, there are also weaknesses in Japanese robotics. The robotics industry also includes non-industrialized robots, an area in which Japan has lagged behind Europe and North America. According to the comparative characteristics in international competitive advantages in the field of robotics, Japan is competitive in three main areas: industrial robots, robots in the construction and civil engineering industries, and robots in the entertainment industry. By comparison, in the West, robots are also used in areas such as aeronautics, nuclear energy, entertainment, maritime, various research, healthcare, agriculture and livestock.
Japanese robots
To understand what we are talking about, just look at some modern examples of robots in Japan. One of them is Toshiba's Aiko Chihira, who works as a receptionist at department stores in Tokyo.
Another example comes from Dr. Yoshio Matsumoto and his team at AIST. They conducted a test by placing twin Actroid F androids in a doctor's office to support patients during consultations. The result was that patients generally felt that their doctor was more sympathetic and better understood what they were saying, and generally felt less anxious when there was an android in the room with them.
AIBO and QRIO
The day before, Sony released its latest earnings report, according to which this Japanese giant of the digital industry is doing just fine! However, along with the good news about the profits, the company released sad information for all fans of Sony, AIBO and QRIO robots. Their development has already been stopped, and sales will stop at the end of this year. The move is certainly strange, especially considering the fact that in Asia people are crazy about these robots. However, the fact remains.
Comic superstar
These opposing views of technology were particularly evident in popular culture in the second half of the twentieth century. At that time, there was such a popular character in Japan as Astro Boy. He originally appeared in comics in 1952, and subsequently appeared in books, films, and television shows. And also in a wide range of different products, for example, in the form of figurines and postcards.
Astro Boy is an android who has superhuman abilities. It was largely thanks to him that a positive attitude towards robots was formed in the country. Although initially its creators did not set such a task. It was about something else.
According to Osamu Tezuka, the author of Astro Boy, under the influence of the publishing company and readers, he gave the robot positive traits designed to give the Japanese hope of overcoming technological backwardness.
After all, in the fifties of the last century, the country was still suffering from military destruction and a certain inferiority was felt in front of the victors. As a result, the peaceful nature of the robot savior was idealized as hope for the future of Japanese society.
ACM-R5
The robotic underwater snake was created by engineers from the Japanese research institute NEDO. Mechanical reptile ACM-R5 is 2 meters long, weighs 8 kg, battery life is 30 minutes. Control is carried out by radio. Following commands, ACM-R5 can change altitude, speed and direction of movement. The snake moves, like its biological counterpart, wriggling its entire body. The robot determines its location using hydrosensors and a digital camera; the data is processed by a 32-bit microprocessor. The snake can not only swim, but also move along the bottom. The robot was designed not to demonstrate high technology, but for practical needs. Snakes with larger batteries could survey the ocean floor to prevent earthquakes and lay or repair fiber-optic cables.
Portal about Japan
3 laws of robotics: 1. A robot must not harm people or remain idle, allowing people to get hurt. 2. A robot is obliged to obey the orders of people, except in cases where these orders contradict the provisions of the first law. 3. A robot must protect itself from death if actions related to such protection do not contradict the provisions of the first or second laws. Isaac Asimov, 1940
Robots... A word that has surrounded us since childhood - from the pages of science fiction, from TV screens, and for some time now in everyday life. The dream, the pinnacle of creativity for people, has always been not industrial robots, in fact, well-developed machines, but rather complexly organized robots that could coexist next to a person: at work, at home, on the road, during entertainment; nanny robots, security robots, military robots. Japan rightfully takes the place of the leader among this particular direction. We present a brief outline of robotics in Japan in this article. History and modernity of robotics In 1968, a significant event occurred: the Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. received a license to produce the robot from the American company Unimation Inc. and assembled her first industrial robot. Since then, Japan has steadily moved toward becoming the robot capital of the world, with more than 130 companies involved in its production. Originally designed in the United States, Japan's first robots were imported in small quantities. Engineers studied them and used them in manufacturing for specific jobs such as welding and spraying. In the 1970s, numerous practical applications in this field were developed.
1980 - commercial start for high-tech robots. From this point on, the market began to grow, despite the collapse that occurred in the Japanese economy and the fact that production (mainly consumer electronics) was moved abroad, which contributed to the decrease in domestic demand in the 90s. Gradually, the Japanese economy recovered and has been growing again since 2003.
Currently, Japan accounts for about 45% of the world's industrial robots. If we talk about absolute numbers, by the end of 2004, 356,500 industrial robots were used in Japan, with the United States of America (122,000 industrial robots) in second place by a significant margin. Japan also ranks first in the world in the export of industrial robots. Every year this country produces more than 60 thousand robots, almost half of which are exported.
This gap certainly makes the invasion of Japanese robots even more noticeable.
Financing and the robotics market
According to statistics, in 2004, an amount of 3.1 billion yen (about $25.8 million) was allocated from the state budget for the development of robotics. Currently, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) plans to provide targeted assistance to manufacturers of new generation robots and introduce their developments into mass production as early as 2006-2007. As an experiment, by 2010 a “society of the future” will be created, where robots will coexist with people. The goal of the experiment is to turn robotics into one of the key sectors of the national industry, along with such a pillar as the automotive industry. In one of the METI reports, “Towards a New Industrial Structure,” which was released in May 2004, it was mentioned that robots were selected by the Japanese government as a key sector for industrial development.
It should be noted that most of the funding for development and production was undertaken by the largest electrical corporations in Japan, which are directly interested in the development of robotics - Fanuc Ltd., Yaskawa Electric Corp., Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Toshiba Machines Co., Okuma Corp., Mori Seiki Co., Makino Milling Machines Co., Hitachi Seiki Co.
Sales of robots and automated technology for non-manufacturing applications are expected to reach 2.14 trillion yen ($20 billion) by 2010, more than double the sales of industrial robots. For comparison, in the last few years the market size was at the level of 500 billion yen ($4.2 billion). Sales in the robotics industry are expected to exceed $6 trillion in 2025. yen In parallel with meeting the growing need for cutting-edge industrial robots, Japanese manufacturers are working to improve the competitiveness of robots in the service sector, where there is a significant leap forward in terms of practical applications.
Leader. Or not yet?
In the next 10 years, home robots are expected to become as commonplace as personal computers and cell phones in developed countries.
Japanese government support for the development of robotics will play a significant role in this. Currently in the Land of the Rising Sun there is a Humanoid Robotics Project (HRP) program worth over $37 million, which provides for the creation of mass-produced humanoid robots in the next few years. At the same time, new robots will take on not only routine operations, but will be able to help or even replace humans when performing hazardous work, as well as in construction, operating heavy equipment, or caring for elderly people and hospital patients. In Japan, intelligent machines are already being used as guards in warehouses, food tray dispensers in hospitals, and couriers in offices.
The Japan Robotics Association estimates that about 11,000 service robots were produced in 2002, 65% of which were intended for hospitals and nursing homes. The association predicts that by 2005 the Japanese market for patient care robots alone will reach $250 million, and by 2010 it will grow to $1 billion.
However, there are also weaknesses in Japanese robotics. The robotics industry also includes non-industrialized robots, an area in which Japan has lagged behind Europe and North America. According to the comparative characteristics in international competitive advantages in the field of robotics, Japan is competitive in three main areas: industrial robots, robots in the construction and civil engineering industries, and robots in the entertainment industry. By comparison, in the West, robots are also used in areas such as aeronautics, nuclear energy, entertainment, maritime, various research, healthcare, agriculture and livestock.
What's next?
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan is going to publish a set of recommendations for robot developers. Special Instructions are the first official implementation of the famous laws, which were published by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov back in 1940.
3 laws of robotics:
1. A robot must not harm people or sit back and allow people to get hurt.
2. A robot is obliged to obey the orders of people, except in cases where these orders contradict the provisions of the first law.
3. A robot must protect itself from death if actions related to such protection do not contradict the provisions of the first or second laws.
Firstly, robot manufacturers will be required to equip robots with sensors that will prevent collisions with people, and body elements will have to be made of soft and lightweight materials.
Secondly, an emergency instant shutdown button will appear on the robot body. We hope that the engineers will also provide a remote switch. Let us remember how often the heroes of science fiction works desperately search for ways to cut off the power to the rebellious artificial intelligence...
The Japanese public is quite concerned about the rapid development of robotics. Expensive but useful machines are actively going on sale to help with housework, caring for children, the sick and the elderly. What happens if the robot's system starts to malfunction or catches a dangerous computer virus? The appearance of instructions at the state level means one thing: robots are not toys.
Is available for sale
AIBO and QRIO
The day before, Sony released its latest earnings report, according to which this Japanese giant of the digital industry is doing just fine! However, along with the good news about the profits, the company released sad information for all fans of Sony, AIBO and QRIO robots. Their development has already been stopped, and sales will stop at the end of this year. The move is certainly strange, especially considering the fact that in Asia people are crazy about these robots. However, the fact remains.
Maetel
At the new Kitakyushu Airport (in the Japanese city of Fukuoka) a robot copy of Maetel from the manga and anime Galaxy Express 999 is installed. The robot will be able to answer 200 questions about the airport, and it will speak in the voice of Masako Ikeda, who voiced Maetel in the anime. Why this airport? The thing is that Fukuoka is the hometown of the creator of Galaxy Express 999, Leiji Matsumoto.
ACM-R5
The robotic underwater snake was created by engineers from the Japanese research institute NEDO. Mechanical reptile ACM-R5 is 2 meters long, weighs 8 kg, battery life is 30 minutes. Control is carried out by radio. Following commands, ACM-R5 can change altitude, speed and direction of movement. The snake moves, like its biological counterpart, wriggling its entire body. The robot determines its location using hydrosensors and a digital camera; the data is processed by a 32-bit microprocessor. The snake can not only swim, but also move along the bottom. The robot was designed not to demonstrate high technology, but for practical needs. Snakes with larger batteries could survey the ocean floor to prevent earthquakes and lay or repair fiber-optic cables.
RAYERD-X
The robot's unique design allows it to transform into a walking spider, a tower, a carousel and, of course, take on a "combat" humanoid form. If necessary, the robot can transform its arms into legs to continue the battle. The height of the transformer is 50 cm, and the weight is 4 kg. The robot is controlled by the operator via a wireless interface. The toy cost the creator 3 thousand dollars. By the way, such transformers can be used for military and industrial purposes.
Choromet
Not long ago, Japanese scientists created an anime robot called Promet. It could dance, stand on one leg, communicate with a person, recognize faces, etc. The high cost of rent - $70,000 per year - could kill the idea, so now the engineers decided to create a smaller copy called Choromet. The robot can lie down and get up, as well as carry out small errands. The machine runs the Linux operating system and a 240 MHz SH-4 processor. The height of Choromet is only 35 cm, the predecessor was much larger - 154 cm. The miracle of technology will cost $4,450, and you can buy it in the fall. The creators hope that the invention will be in great demand for research and educational institutions.
Land Walker
Japanese manufacturer of robot-like mechanisms Sakakibara-Kikai has released the first true two-pedal exoskeleton - Land Walker. He is 3.4 meters tall, weighs about 1000 kg and can move a distance of 1.5 kilometers.
To begin with, the Land Walker will be exhibited at various demonstrations and competitions. Land Walkers have a cannon attached to each side, but now they only shoot rubber balls. With some modifications, the Land Walker can become quite a serious weapon. Just imagine a horde of Land Walkers coming down the hill!
Plen
This robot's name is Plen. He's from Japan. (Where else would a robot be?) You can control it using your mobile phone using Bluetooth functionality.
The Plen has 18 movable joints and is powered by a 32-bit ARM7 processor. The robot is capable of walking/running/rollerblading for 25 minutes on a single charge. Only a few copies were released.
Robot Museum
In the center of the Japanese city of Nagoya, the world's first robot museum opened its doors to visitors. The total exhibition area is 2600 sq. meters. It features robots from all over the world, from children's toys to industrial giants.
The largest collection of robots to date is divided into several thematic sections. One of them is called Robothink, where everyone can not only study the history of robotics, but also play to their heart’s content with the electronic dog Aibo or her computer brother, the seal Paro. Robot Mirai Department's exhibition stands are expected to do a brisk trade in toy robots and other related products. According to the organizers, it will be possible to purchase even expensive models of “two-legged” robots. In addition, any little visitor, with the help of their parents, can try to assemble some simple electronic device here.
Yuri Butorin
Choromet
Anime robot Promet. It could dance, stand on one leg, communicate with a person, recognize faces, etc. The high cost of rent - $70,000 per year - could kill the idea, so now the engineers decided to create a smaller copy called Choromet. The robot can lie down and get up, as well as carry out small errands. The machine runs the Linux operating system and a 240 MHz SH-4 processor. The height of Choromet is only 35 cm, the predecessor was much larger - 154 cm. The miracle of technology will cost $4,450, and you can buy it in the fall. The creators hope that the invention will be in great demand for research and educational institutions.
Science needs answers
What does science say about the Japanese love of robots - even creepy ones? Although research into the Uncanny Valley has gained momentum in recent years, the effect of culture and nationality on people's perceptions of robots has remained relatively untouched.
At the same time, there is no clear scientific understanding of which robots belong to the uncanny valley and which do not. Research on this topic has reached different conclusions. Some say that culture has a big influence and that the Japanese have a greater affinity for robots than most people.
Others point out that the Japanese actually have no more affection for robots than anyone else. What these studies agree on is that interactions with robots play a big role in how people perceive them, and that the Japanese are ahead of the curve in this regard.
See about copters: Washing robot vacuum cleaner rating 2021
Land Walker
Japanese manufacturer of robot-like mechanisms Sakakibara-Kikai has released the first true two-pedal exoskeleton - Land Walker. He is 3.4 meters tall, weighs about 1000 kg and can move a distance of 1.5 kilometers.
To begin with, the Land Walker will be exhibited at various demonstrations and competitions. Land Walkers have a cannon attached to each side, but now they only shoot rubber balls. With some modifications, the Land Walker can become quite a serious weapon. Just imagine a horde of Land Walkers coming down the hill!
Plen
This robot's name is Plen. He's from Japan. (Where else would a robot be?) It can be controlled using a mobile phone using the Bluetooth function.
The Plen has 18 movable joints and is powered by a 32-bit ARM7 processor. The robot is capable of walking/running/rollerblading for 25 minutes on a single charge. Only a few copies were released.
