Japan looks forward to the future generation of robots

At a university laboratory on the outskirts of Tokyo, mechanical students are installing wires for a rubber robot face to activate 6 basic human expressions: anger, fear, sadness, happiness happy, surprised and disgusting.

Connected with the lexical-focused vocabulary database, Kansei robots - meaning ' sensitivity ' - react to the word ' war ' with a hateful face and the word ' love ' with a smile. According to project leader Junichi Takeno of Meiji University: 'To live between people, robots need to handle complex social responsibilities. Robots need to know how to express emotions to understand and finally feel it. '

While the process of combining complex human emotions into robots has a lot of work to do, Japan is probably the closest approach to this future generation - which is only available in science fiction - The time when humans and smart robots live side by side and socialize normally.

Robots are so popular in Japanese factories that they are welcome on the first day of working with Shinto rituals. Sushi processing robot. Robot planting rice. There are robots serving reception, office cleaning, elderly care. They serve tea, welcome guests and talk at technology exhibitions. Now comes the era of domestic help robots.

Not all robots have human form. Paro is a thick furry robot seal with sensors under the fur and cats designed to make friends with the elderly, able to open and close their eyes and legs.

For Japan, robot revolution is obvious, imperative. With a fifth of the population over 65, the country has to rely on robots to replace the workforce and care for the elderly. In recent years, the government has funded a variety of robot-related projects, including about $ 42 million for the first phase of a human-like robot project, and about $ 10 million between 2006 and 2010. to develop key robot technologies.

The government estimates the robot industry could rise to $ 5.2 billion by 2006, $ 26 billion by 2010 and nearly $ 70 billion by 2025. Besides the economic and technological power, the wave of robots also supported by Japanese intellectuals.

A human-like robot, designed to express people's facial expressions when responding to English and Japanese words entered into the attached computer system, is being wired at a robot lab in Tokyo. May 15, 2007. (Photo: AP Photo / David Guttenfelder)

Robots are described as friendly maids in Japanese popular culture, completely different from the violent and rebellious machines that often dominate Western science fiction. After all, the country invented Tamagotchi, a portable electronic pet that fascinated children around the world.

Experts say Japan is more likely to accept the role of robots because the Shinto religion often erases the line between people and animals. In Japanese psychology, the idea of ​​a human-like robot and emotions is not as scary or threatening as in other cultures.

Until now, Japan faces a great challenge in making a jump - both commercial and cultural - from toys, advertising and laboratory test robots developed by Takeno. up to the complete replacement of the human role that ordinary people can buy and use safely.

Damian Thong, senior technology analyst at Macquarie Bank in Tokyo, said: 'People still wonder if they really accept robots present around the house and fold their clothes. But then again, Japan is the only country on earth that every citizen has an electronic toilet . We can count on a robot revolution. '

This revolution has evolved quietly for a while.

Japan has become an industrial robot operation organization. According to Macquaire reports, over 370,000 robots work at factories across Japan in 2005, about 40% of the global total and about 32 robots are available for every 1000 employees. But they do not have data for the following years.

Robots do not require overtime and pensions when they retire. Eimei Onaga, CEO of Innovation Matrix, the Japanese robot technology distribution company in the US, said: ' Machinery prices are falling, while labor prices are rising . Sooner or later, robots can replace low-wage workers in small companies and push productivity up a lot. '

These are the reasons for the Japanese government to rely heavily on robots. The Commerce Ministry's 2007 national technology road map project requires 1 million industrial robots installed nationwide before 2025. A robot can replace about 10 workers, according to the projections. Map project - this means that a 1 million manpower team will replace 10 million people. That number replaces about 15% of the workforce.

Shunichi Uchiyama, head of the Ministry of Commerce's industrial production policy, said at a recent seminar: 'Robots are the cornerstone of Japan's international competition. We hope that robotics technology will help promote many more progressive professions. '

At present, many local governments want to promote local industries that have relied on robotics technology to bring progress to many other areas. For example, robot technology is used to produce complex cars and surgical equipment.

The next logical step is to bring robots into everyday life.

At a hospital in Aizu Wakamatsu, located 190 miles north of Tokyo, a white-blue robot is just like a child walking along floors, guiding patients to and from the patient's surgery area. stay. This robot developed by Tmsk emits simple greetings and uses sensors to detect and warn people to track the way. It can print hospital maps and even check the patient's cardiovascular status.

(Photo: Theage.com.au)

Aizu Chuo Hospital spent about $ 557,000 to install these three robots in the waiting room to test patients' reactions. According to spokesman Naoya Narita, the patient's attitude is completely positive.'We think this is a reasonable division of labor. Robots will not become doctors but they can guide and make reception. '

However, it still did not win the hearts of all the elderly in the hospital waiting room on a morning in the week. Hiroshi Asami, 81, and had to be in a wheelchair, exasperatedly said: 'He told me to avoid the road while it was the one who needed to avoid me. It's just a robot. I still prefer to interact with real people. '

Limited cost.

After all the research, Japan has yet to produce a commercially successful robot. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries could not sell even if only a Wakamaru maid robot, launched in 2003. Although quite popular when it first appeared, Sony's Aibo was still unsuccessful within 7 years of its birth. . With a dizzying price of $ 2,000, Aibo never managed to get into the mass consumer market.

One of the most commercially successful robots to date is developed by iRobot, an American company. The Roomba vacuum cleaner robot moves on its own and can clean the room without supervision. According to iRobot CEO Helen Greiner: 'We can almost create everything but we have to ask what people really buy?' The company sold 2.5 million Roomba robots, which retail for about $ 120, since the product was launched in 2002.

Roomba vacuum cleaner robot (Photo: Wordpress.com)

Greiner emphasized at a recent conference that with a reasonable approach, robots could still be a lucrative commodity. Japanese manufacturers are definitely aiming for this, and have just released a low-cost robot like Tomy's i-Sobot, which costs $ 300. This is a robot that looks like a toy with 17 engines, can recognize some words and be remote controlled.

Sony is trying to learn from past mistakes and come up with a much cheaper $ 350 robot built on its robot technology.

According to Kyoji Takenaka, the head of the Robot Industry Development Council said: 'What we need now is not an outstanding robot-like robot. Engineers should remember that the key to developing robots is not in the laboratory but in everyday life. '

Currently, one of the most notable robot developments is outside the Japanese lab. For example, Osaka University scientists are developing a robot to learn more about children's development. ' Child robot with biological mimic body ' is designed to simulate the movements of a child about 3-6 years old. It responds to sound, the sensor in the eye can see and react to people. It moved, changed its facial expression and made a chattering sound.

The research leader, Minoru Asada, is developing artificial intelligence software that allows the child to 'learn' as he grows. Asada said: 'Currently, it only speaks Ah, ah but once we develop the learning function, we hope it can begin to speak more complex sentences and develop with the consciousness of me The next generation of robots needs to be able to learn and develop themselves. '

For Hiroshi Ishiguro, also at Osaka University, the key lies in the ability to turn robots like humans. His Geminoid robot looks quite like him, has curly black hair and has tan skin.

'After all, we don't want to have to communicate with machines or computers. We want to interact with technology in a very human way so it is completely natural and legal to try to create robots that look like humans. Someday, they will be present among us. You will then have to ask the people around 'Are you a person or a robot?'