Mobile Robots in Japan

A REPORT BY PHILLIP WHITE

DTI INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PROMOTER

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This report was prepared by Phillip White, Finally, Dr Eda showed a video of one robot
DTI International Technology Promoter for developed by Matsushita Electric which he calls
electronics and communications in Japan, a Porter Robot. It is used to carry heavy objects
following a trip to Japan. The report and follow behind a walking human being, using
represents his findings and views expressed its own vision system. This is a good example of
do not necessarily reflect those of DTI. a ‘tool-oriented’ robot which combines practical
usefulness with the possibility of realisation in
Matsushita Electric Industrial the near future (photos can be obtained by
Dr Kazuo Eda, Advanced Technology Research contacting Phillip White). Dr Eda coined the
Laboratories, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co term Mechanorg for this combination of
Ltd made a presentation on ‘Tool-Oriented machine and organism. In the future, monitoring
Type Robots (Mechanorg)’ at the UK-Japan coordination and communication between
High Technology Industry Forum in Osaka on various 3As type robots and service providers
25 May. Heb outlined the development trends will become possible within the home and
and drivers for robotics in Japan and gave a within public spaces.
concrete example with their ‘Porter Robot’.
Demographics trends in Japan are leading to Sony
an increase in the number of people who are Mr Kohtaro Sabe, Sony Intelligence Dynamics
either elderly, living alone, sick or Laboratories, Inc presented a keynote speech
handicapped. People expect tools, such as entitled ‘Development of Entertainment Robot
robots, to help them realise their aims, to and Its Future’ at the IEEE Vlsi Symposium in
save time and to become self-supporting. Kyoto on 16 June. He introduced the various
type of robots developed by Sony. The AIBO
Dr Eda sees a paradigm shift from the quadruped robot was launched in 1999 and
automatic machines and production robots to 5,000 units were quickly sold in spite of the
the life-assistance and partner robots. The high price (exceeding £1,000). The QRIO
production robots helped improve efficiency humanoid robot, introduced in 2002, stands
and provided power assistance but the 580 mm high and weighs 6.5 kg. Its joints
humans had to adapt to the robots needs. have 38 degrees of freedom in total, including
The partner robots aim to provide care and 10 for the fingers.
act as a submissive supporter so the robot
must adapt to human needs. Mr Sabe explained the importance of the
OPEN-R standard, proposed by Sony in 1998,
He characterised this new paradigm by 3As: in enabling a modular hardware and control
Anshin (relief), Anzen (safety), Assist. He software architecture for their robots. This
forsees application in the fields of Household was demonstrated video showing equivalent
(carry, power-assist, nursing care, agent), behaviour when the two rear limbs of an
Public (carry, power-assist, nursing care) and AIBO were replaced by a base driven by two
Business (distribution, medical, nursing care). wheeled motors.
As chair of this session, and from experience
as an engineer in the robotics industry in the Current research on behaviour and pattern
1980s, I pointed out that this contrasts with recognition makes use of the two CCD
the early applications of industrial robots camera and other sensors in the QRIO
characterised by the 3Ks: Kitsui (hard/heavy together with its wireless connection to link
work), Kiken (dangerous), Kitenai (dirty). to a PC cluster. This is used to implement a
Dr Eda introduced a roadmap for the ‘behavior-based architecture’ with learning
development of these new robots. ability. This allows the researchers to verify a
computational model by interaction between
a robot and the real world.
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SAFETY, SECURITY AND RESCUE ROBOTS

The IEEE International Workshop on Safety, Evaluation of a snake-like rescue robot

Security and Rescue Robotics was held in ‘KOHGA’ for usability of remote control
Kobe on 6-9 June. Articulated snake-like robots are currently the
favoured solution for crawling through narrow
The workshop was hosted by the International space in rubble to search for survivors. They
Rescue System Institute which manages the have a camera on the front so the operator
Special Project for Earthquake Disaster can see where the robot is going however
Mitigation in Urban Areas. This project was they can get stuck somewhere between the
started by the Japanese Ministry of ‘head’ and the ‘tail’. In many situations, the
Education, Sports, Culture, Science and camera on the front, or head, is unable to
Technology in 2002 as an urban renaissance view the blockage. This project team, from
programme. The objective of this five-year the University of Electro-Communications,
project is to develop science and technologies uses a second camera on the ‘tail’ and a
to drastically reduce damage expected by scorpion-like raising of the ‘tail’ to view the
large-scale urban earthquake disasters such as body of the robot and the obstruction with
the Kobe earthquake of 1995. the tail-mounted camera.

A sub-project ‘Advanced Disaster

Management Systems – Development of
Advanced Robots and Information Systems for
Disaster Response’ aims at development of
robots, intelligent sensors, ubiquitous
terminals, human interfaces etc, which aid
emergency response such as search and
rescue. It especially focuses on searching for
victims, information collection and distribution.

Some of the more interesting presentations

by Japanese speakers are outlined below.

Motion control of soil removal operation FUMA: Environment information gathering

for a tele-operation based demining wheeled rescue robot with one DOF arm
operation This robot, developed by the University of
This system used a ground penetrating radar Electro-Communications, employs two cameras
to detect a mine and a robotic arm to move a on a one degree of freedom arm. It can quickly
soil removal scoop. The control system for navigate and survey a disaster area using a
the robotic arm used a ‘virtual place’ to camera with a long-range of focus. If the robot
precisely limit the depth to which the tool encounters and obstruction or a possible victim,
penetrated the soil. the arm can tilt to point a shorter-focus camera
at the robot itself or the victim.

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A mobile jack robot for rescue operation

Hydraulic jacks and hydraulic cutters are
essential tools for rescue services. These two
robots developed at Okayam University allow
them to be deployed more deeply into a
collapsed building or other disaster
environments. What was unclear was how
well the jack robot would work when it was
sitting on a surface which was unstable or not
perpendicular to the direction of required lift.

A study of robot mobile surveillance

system using spatial temporal GIS
Surveying a scene is an important step prior
to a rescue robot navigating a path through it.
However, two papers by Waseda University
took a different approach aimed at
surveillance and security application.
A wheeled follows a predefined path using
GPS and an inertial navigation system.
A camera and optical system mounted on top
of the robot surveys 360 degrees around the
robot as it moves. After completing the
predefined routes, the camera data is to build
a ‘point cloud’ of objects seen. This is done by
triangulating to a point between successive
camera frames as the robot moved.

On subsequent circuits, the robots camera

can be used to detect that new objects have
appeared along side the route, such as a
recently parked vehicle or an intruder.

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CONFERENCES AND EXHIBITIONS

Robomec Conference and Exhibition • TAO Aicle, an Intelligent Wheelchair Robot

At this conference, 880 posters were developed by Aisin Seiki Co Ltd and
presented indicating the wide variety of Fujitsu Ltd
research being funded at Japanese • Wakamaru, a Reception Robot developed
universities on subject related to robotics, by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
control, sensing and mechatronics. The range • Actroid, a Reception Robot developed by
of topics is too broad to cover here but if any Kokor Co Ltd, and Advanced Media, Inc
UK company seeking access to • Mujirio Ligurio, a Security Robot developed
developments in robotics in Japan I would be by tmsuk Co Ltd
pleased to identify contacts and R&D relevant • Guard Robo i, a Security Robot developed
to your specific requests. by Sohgo Security Services Co Ltd
• SuiPPi, a Cleaning Robot developed by
Prof Kintomo Takakura, President, Tokyo Matsushita Electric Works Ltd
Women’s Medical University gave a keynote • Subaru Robohiter RS1, a Cleaning Robot
presentation on the Application of Robotics developed by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd
and Mechatronics in Medicine with videos of • Subaru Robohiter T1, an Garbage Can
these devices in use. Carrying Robot developed by Fuji Heavy
Industries Ltd
Also there were live demonstrations of some • PaPeRo, a ChildCare Robot developed
of the robots which featured in presentations by NEC
at the workshop on Safety,Security and
Rescue robotics. The photographs have been TAO Aicle, an Intelligent Wheelchair Robot
included above. Further videos were taken. For developed by Aisin Seiki Co Ltd and
details, please contact [email protected] Fujitsu Ltd

Aichi Expo – NEDO Practical Application

Robot Project
At the Aichi Expo, Japanese companies and
universities exhibited robots developed under
two project funded by NEDO (the New
Energy and Industrial Technology Development
Organization, an Incorporated Administrative
Agency of the Japanese Government):

• Practical Application Robot Project

• Prototype Robot Project
• In the Practical Application Robot Project
nine types of robot have been developed
focusing on five fields in the market is
expected to expand by 2010. These robots
were working at the Expo site in a
demonstration test

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This wheelchair can navigate to one of a short Whilst promoted as a childcare robot, the
list of preset destinations. The user selects robots functions are aimed at entertaining the
the destination from a menu on a small children. Parents were encouraging their
display. The long pole in the photo below is children to queue up to pat the robot and
the GPS antenna and the VHS cassette-sized then join ‘play groups’ with one adult
block on the floor is the radio frequency introducing them to the robot.
identification (RFID) tag which is embedded
in the pavement. This RFID tag cause the
wheelchair to stop at crossing or the final
destination until the user presses a button
asking it to proceed.

This is an example of how companies are

applying robotic or mechatronic technologies
to assist their population.

PaPeRo, a ChildCare Robot developed

by NEC
PaPeRo is equipped with face and voice
recognition technology. NEC claims PaPeRo
remembers people’s faces, discerns who
they are and can ‘communicate’ with them
verbally. PaPeRo also reacts favourably to
being touched and patted. It can also
communicate with a mobile phone.

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Aichi Expo – NEDO Prototype Robot Project • Performance Robot

NEDO supported the development of 65 type These robots have special motor skills.
of robots aimed at practical use by 2020. The Some can break themselves up into parts,
65 prototype robots exhibited were organised consolidate themselves, jump around and
into into eight themes. These themes give move about in unstable locations.
some indications of the markets anticipated.
• Humanoid Robot
• Service Robot (network robotics and These robots are like humans in that they
robot technology middleware) can walk around on two legs and can
These robots provide various services perform a variety of tasks under remote
through robot technology middleware and control.
network robotics in which multiple robots
are interconnected by means of software Details and photographs of some specific
and network communications. robots follow.

• Service Robot (robot for interaction Woody – Waseda University

between humans and robots) This robot is designed to climb trees, cut
Through diverse technologies including branches and cut the trunk of a tree. A
pseudo-testing and remote control consortium including Waseda University has
operations, these robots allow one to been working on this project since 2002. The
experience the feeling of being in photograph below shows the two grippers
unknown spaces. used for climbing the tree and the circular
saw for cutting branches and the tree trunk.
• Outdoor Robot (skilled work) For a video file of the robot in action, please
These robots can perform complex human contact [email protected]
tasks outdoors that require skilled
techniques and experience.

• Outdoor Robot (special environment

work)
These robots can work in special
environments, in toxic atmospheres or
underwater for instance, where humans
cannot easily gain access.

• Medical Welfare Robot

These robots are intended to prove helpful
in providing medical treatment and welfare
services. They are operated remotely, for
instance, to perform detailed surgical
procedures. They are also used to give
added strength to humans and to provide
nursing care.

• Partner Robot
These robots not only talk to humans and
interact with them, they can also talk to
other robot and act with them cooperatively.

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Tele-operated robot – Tokyo University The photgraph above shows the human
Work at Tokyo University on tele-operated operator using his arms, hands and fingers to
robot arms began under the ‘Humanoid move the lightweight sensor arms. The
Robotics Project’ and a Global Watch Mission signals from the sensor arms are used to
on visited the team in 1999 to discuss work remotely operate the robotic arms. Force
on Virtual Reality Technology and Applications. feedback signals from the robot are delivered
For a copy of the report from that mission, to the sensor arm so that the human operator
please contact [email protected] can experience the exactly half the forces
applied to the robotic arm as it grasps and
lifts and object.

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Phillip White is the DTI International Phillip White can be contacted directly by
Technology Promoter (ITP) with specific e-mail: [email protected]
responsibility for Japan, widely recognised as
one of the world’s leading investors in Alternatively, for further information about
technology development. Global Watch Service Technology Partnering,
please contact:
Phillip’s main objective is to access The ITP Helpdesk
technology-based opportunities in support of Pera
the UK electronics and communications Pera Innovation Park
industries, though he welcomes enquiries Melton Mowbray
from any UK company seeking a Japanese Leicestershire
technology partner. His hands-on experience LE13 0PB
of a whole range of engineering disciplines
means that he can talk knowledgeably to T: +44 (0) 1664 501551
companies about new technologies which F: +44 (0) 1664 501261
could boost their competitiveness. [email protected]
www.globalwatchservice.com/itp
Phillip graduated from Cambridge University
with a degree in Electronic Engineering and a DTI Global Watch Service Technology
postgraduate course in Production Methods Partnering is characterised by a network of
and Management. He has more than 20 DTI International Technology Promoters (ITPs)
years’ experience in engineering, with over 16 – specialists working with UK organisations to
years spent working in Japanese companies facilitate inward technology transfer and
in the electronics and automotive industries. broader technology collaboration. With wide-
He hopes that UK companies will be eager to ranging technological, linguistic and
take advantage of his technical experience, commercial expertise, the ITPs are well-
language skills and pragmatic approach to placed to help your organisation navigate the
working with Japanese companies. often complex and time-consuming business
of technology transfer. ITPs can offer practical
He strongly believes that UK companies who in-depth assistance with many aspects of
simply watch developments in Japan will technology partnering, including licensing and
suddenly find themselves overtaken by a technology transfer agreements. ITPs also
competitor. Phillip hopes UK companies will instigate specific events, bringing together
seize the opportunities provided by partnering key players from a variety of global industries
with Japanese companies, and make him to meet, network and exchange information
their first point of call. with their UK counterparts.