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Androids are robots designed to strongly resemble humans.
Eventually the deeper long term financial resources and strong domestic market enjoyed by the Japanese companies prevailed, their robots spread all over the globe. Only a few non-Japanese companies managed to survive in this market, including Adept Technology, Stäubli-Unimation, the Swedish-Swiss company ABB (ASEA Brown-Boveri), the Austrian manufacturer igm Robotersysteme AG and the German company KUKA Robotics.
This includes the one used by the robot based automative production plants,known as assembly line robots.
Moreover, a recently created robot called CB2 or Child-robot with Biomimetic Body may follow moving objects with its eyes. CB2 can dangle its legs, raise its shoulders and fall with rhythmic breathing.[2] CB2 may recognize the human touch, which is possible thanks to the 197 film-like pressure sensors that are placed under its rubbery skin. Asada, the team of engineers and brain specialists together with psychologists and many other specialists in the related domain created a CB2 that may record emotional expressions, memorize them and then match them with physical sensations.
The characteristics of robots are however progressive, their abilities being enlarged as the technology has progressed. The same CB2 acts more and more as human and it was capable of teaching itself how to walk with the aid of human help. The robot learned how to move around the room by using its 51 "muscles," which are driven by air pressure.
The humanoid Japanese robots characteristics include abilities such as blinking, smiling or expressing emotions akin to anger and surprise. One of the newest Japanese robots, HRP-4C is a female-robot programmed to catwalk. It walks and talks and with the help of 30 motors it may move its legs and arms however loudly and awkwardly. The facial expressions that are capable of are driven by 8 facial motors to make it smile or blink and change the facial expression as a response to anger or surprise.[3]
Robots that are intended to play with children usually look like animals and depending on what animal they are, they make different sounds, move, walk and play. Robot-dogs for example may bark, move their tails and somehow run or play with a child.
There are also the mountable robots that can carry their passengers almost anywhere they need to go. Some of the Japanese robots move through rolling.[4]
One of the characteristics and advances of Japanese robotics over many other countries is the movement and mobility of the robots used.
Conceivable commercial applications of robots include any type of activity that a robot could do in the domestic or industrial field.
Japanese scientists have foreseen many applications for their robots. They could be used in the hospitals, they may provide help for the elderly, they may be play-friends for children and they could replace humans in various activities.
Researchers across Japan have unveiled increasingly sophisticated robots with different functions, including a talking office receptionist, a security guard and even a primary school teacher. The newest model of domestic helper, AppriAttenda, is developed by Toshiba. This is a robot that can fetch containers from a refrigerator by using its two arms and moves on wheels. The purpose in creating such robots is to make older people's lives easier when they have to manage alone. The robots could help them with basic tasks inside the house.
The Japanese scientists in robotics have also created the first robotic fashion model, the HRP-4C, a female-robot that is capable of strutting a catwalk, smiling, blinking, and pouting.
Fumio Miyazaki, an engineering science professor at the Toyonaka Campus of Osaka University, stated that Japanese scientists can provide thousands of humanoids that could be working alongside humans by the end of 2020s, if that is what the society wants.
The progress that Japanese robotics engineers recorded was also possible due to the friendly image that Japanese people have towards the robots. In the Western countries, people seem to picture robots as evil and dangerous creatures and they fear that their jobs could be taken by robots.
Japan has the most industrial robots, over a quarter of a million robots as an effort to reduce high labor costs and support further industrial mechanization. Japan wants robotics to be for their 21st century economy what automobiles were for the 20th.[5]
Robots are also seen as a solution to the declining birthrate and shrinking workforce, a great problem of the Japanese society. Although the number of workers that a robot could replace varies on the type of industry, a robot may do the job for several workers and can provide an answer on the nation's declining work force and will weigh heavily on future pension and health care programs.
Among Japan's oldest robot precursors are the karakuri ningyo, or mechanical dolls. Karakuri ningyo are believed to have originated in China. During the Edo period (1603–1867), Takeda-za developed a mechanical-puppet theater that flourished in Osaka's Dotonbori district.[14]
The first idea of a robot was the cartoon character Astroboy outside Japan or Testuwan Atomu, in Japan. The most popular robot-hero, Astroboy was created by Osamu Tezuka's imagination and is one of the most famous Japanese sci-fi robots.
In the middle of the twentieth century, Ichiro Kato professor of Waseda University studied humanoid robots. He made "WABOT-1," a full scale humanoid robot in 1973. WABOT-1 had two arms, walked on two legs and sees with two camera eyes.[15]
In 1996 Honda announced the P2 humanoid robot after which a number of companies and institutes started to develop humanoid robots for many purposes.
The Japanese company Kawasaki Robotics started the commercial production of industrial robots over 40 years ago.[6]
Approximately 700,000 industrial robots were used all over the world in 1995, of which 500,000 operated in Japan.[7]
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