5 Amazing Japanese Robots and their uses

Japan is a world leader in the field of technology and robotics is one area of research that they are way ahead of the pack with thousands of robots already a part of the workforce mainly in manufacturing and industry. When the topic for this month’s Japan Blog Matsuri was announced to be “technology” I instantly decided to use this as an opportunity to post about my robot obsession ^^. The December Japan Blog Matsuri is being hosted by Dumb Otaku and my entry is about 5 Amazing Japanese Robots and their uses.

  • Paro

paro-robot

Paro was developed by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and is described as a “Mental Commitment Robot”. It takes the form of a baby harp seal and is designed to interact with humans and provide companionship and invoke an emotional response. Paro is primarily used with patients in hospitals and nursing homes to help with the recovery of patients and instigating communication between patients and caregivers.

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More about Paro

  • ACM-R5

acm-r5-robot-snake

Snakes are super cool creatures and with my slight reptile obsession I’m a big fan of these legless carnivores. ACM-R5 though is a different kind of snake: a robotic amphibious one! It may have been built to to study how snakes move and “spirochete-like helical swimming” but although a tiny bugger is easily the scariest robot on this list as it looks eerily similar to some of Skynet’s minions from Terminator Salvation, a beta version maybe?

More about ACM-R5

  • ASIMO

asimo-honda-robot

Research and development on ASIMO has been going on for almost 25 years but it was first seen in it’s current form in 2005. Asimo is a humanoid robot that looks like an astronaut complete with a helmet and backpack and it’s name means “Advanced Step in Innovative MObility”. You may remember him from my post about controlling a robot with your thoughts, but that is only one point in a long list of technologies Asimo and it’s creators are researching.

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More about ASIMO

  • An9-PR

An9-PR-robot

Receptionists and security guards take note as your jobs might be in danger! o_O. AN9-PR is a new robot from Sohgo Security Services Co Ltd in Japan that can guide visitors within a building, advertise stores or points of interest and even provide freebies with the swipe of a phone or other device to customers. Watch out for AN9-PR as it fulfills it’s programming and takes control of office building lobbies, hotels, and malls near you.

More about An9-PR

  • ApriPoko

apripoko-robot

Apripoko is touted as the successor to now old fashioned remote controllers that I first saw and blogged about a year and a half ago. Just about every electronic device in the home comes with a remote controller – the air conditioner, TV, home theater system even some lights. Apripoko will soon make them all obsolete by using wireless technology and voice commands to take control of their function and then firing a death beam from it’s eyes which will cause all the remotes in room to explode in a ball of fire.

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More about Apripoko

Resistance is futile…

Past Japan Blog Matsuri Entries

My previous two entries in the Japan Blog Matsuri were entitled Learning Japanese is complicated but not difficult for the September 2008 Matsuri under the topic “The language of Japan” and Chicken Foot Soup was the topic of my entry for the Matsuri held earlier this year in February under the topic “Foreign Food”.

[evil]

16 thoughts on “5 Amazing Japanese Robots and their uses

  1. From that list, I’d have to say Apripoko is hands down, my favorite. It’s ability to fire a death beam from its eyes draws my immediate attention. 😉 Aside from death beams though, the little gaffer would make a nice attention to my home. It looks so cute and friendly, no one would expect it to hold a deadly power from within. mwhahaha. Sorry, I can’t get death beams out of my head now.

  2. Nice collection! I could use the Apripoko – you are totally right about everything having its own remote, including the overhead lights.

    I got a short vid of Asimo at the Miraikan last year.
    Asimo dancing

  3. Paro reminds me of a pair of slippers I once had and ACM-R5 – well “anal probe” comes to mind – ewwww.

    I gotta get me a ApriPoko so I can keep my son in line – LOL

  4. Hey hey..Mark got a chance to see the ASIMO robot not too long ago – will bring along some freebies we got from Honda 4u when we are in JA next….which is Oct!
    Until then… [jamaica]

    1. woOt! looking forward to those Auntie Gena.

      Try to book your trip around the end part of October and keep the final Sunday in October free while in Kingston, I want you guys to join me on a monthly trip I go on with a bunch of local photographers.

  5. thanks man, the snake looks cool but equally scary! I also post many cool robots on my blog. Welcome to check it. I will share your site with my friends!

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