With the emergence of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, intelligent manufacturing is becoming an important direction and a commanding height for global manufacturing transformation. Major manufacturing countries have introduced relevant strategies and policies to promote intelligent manufacturing to seize the high ground for a new round of industrial development. Based on the field of manufacturing and serving the development of the industry, Advanced Manufacturing Omnimedia will launch the "2017 Smart Manufacturing World Tour" series of articles to sort out and summarize the major issues of major smart manufacturing countries and regions in 2017. Today we are introducing the robot chapter of Japan.
As a robot powerhouse, Japan has achieved rich results in 2017 and is closely integrated with its national conditions. Based on the serious aging of the population, low willingness to give birth, insufficient labor, frequent earthquake disasters, etc., it focuses on the research and development of medical and nursing robots and industrial robots. And rescue robots.
In April 2017, Tmsuk R&D Inc., a Japanese medical venture capital company, reached a cooperation with Tottori University Hospital to develop a 3D printed simulation robot called Mikoto, specifically designed to help train young doctors, medical students, and emergency rescuers. Students can learn and explore through the implementation of simulated surgery on the robot, improve their actual combat capabilities, and ensure the safety of patients' lives.
In May, Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan developed a light four-legged robot that can carry heavy objects. The steel wires at the joints of the robot are made of chemical fibers, which can realize the portability and high power of the machine, and the output power is three times that of the same weight robot. The machine can walk freely on the rugged roads at the scene of disasters such as collapsed houses, helping to carry rescue materials and search and rescue trapped people. The research team will further improve the invention and put it into practical application as soon as possible.
In June, a research team from Tohoku University in Japan developed a snake-shaped robot with air jet function, which can raise the "body" by jetting air downward when encountering obstacles. According to researchers, this is the world's first snake-shaped robot with air jet function, which can perform tasks such as entering collapsed buildings to search for victims.
In July, the Japanese robot development startup ZMP released a delivery robot named CarriRo·Delivery. It is like a large box with wheels, equipped with a courier box, and uses cameras and radar to identify the surrounding environment while driving, and deliver the goods to the door of the customer. CarriRo can carry up to 100 kilograms of items, and ZMP plans to use it to deliver food that is difficult for small drones to deliver.
Also in July, the JEM Internal Ball photographic 3D printing robot jointly developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the University of Tokyo and other units was sent to the International Space Station for testing related technology applications. Soon, it returned the first captured image and the first video. The job of this robot can reduce the work pressure of astronauts in shooting.
In August, the automobile giant Honda launched its latest version of ASIMO robot. The biggest highlight is the breakthrough in hand movement. ASIMO has 13 free motion axes for each hand, so it can become a qualified sign language performer. At the same time, Honda also improved ASIMO's lower limbs to make it more balanced and able to climb stairs faster and more smoothly. In general, ASIMO can now complete many tasks similar to human activities, and Honda's ultimate goal is to let it enter the public family and undertake daily tasks such as caring for babies, the elderly, the disabled, and the sick, and truly become a good helper at home.
In September, in order to solve the problem of labor shortage in kindergartens in Japan, a Tokyo startup Global Bridge Holdings began testing a new service that uses the bear-shaped robot Vevo and sensors to share the work of kindergarten teachers. The robot will recognize children, greet them, and take their temperature. During a nap, a sensor built into the crib can monitor heart rate and body movements to ensure that the child is still breathing. If an abnormal situation is detected, the alarm system will immediately notify the teacher.
As a robot powerhouse, Japan has achieved rich results in 2017 and is closely integrated with its national conditions. According to the serious aging of the population, low willingness to bear children, insufficient labor, frequent earthquake disasters, etc., it focuses on the research and development of medical and nursing robots and industrial robots. And rescue robots. In the next article, we will turn our attention to the drone industry to see what progress Japan has made in this regard.
