Cyberdyne Inc. and Omron Corp. said Wednesday they will join forces in making and marketing robots, combining Cyberdyne's power limb technology with Omron's expertise in sensors and automation.
"We want to achieve new values through our technologies," Omron President and CEO Yoshihito Yamada told a news conference in Tokyo.
Omron, a Kyoto-based factory automation provider, boasts advanced sensor and control technologies, while Ibaraki-based Cyberdyne is known for robotic suits it calls Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) — advanced limb-like devices that help people move their bodies or lift heavy objects by reading the nerve signals sent from their brain.
Yamada said robotics has resulted in a revolution in some factory environments. Whereas in the past humans were replaced with robots, the present trend is for partnerships, he said.
In the future, "robots and humans will integrate and work together," Yamada said.
Production will depend on both robots and humans, with the former enhancing humans' power, capabilities and even imagination, he added.
Cyberdyne President Yoshiyuki Sankai said when the Cyberdyne's HAL robot suit picks up signals from the brain of the wearer, it is also recording the person's skills. So, if veteran engineers wear the suits, the computer can store their movements and either transfer them to other robots or use them to teach other engineers.
The two firms said Omron will help sell Cyberdyne robots through its sales channels and handle maintenance from 2015.
The robots include types of HAL which people wear on their backs to enable them to lift heavy items.
Cyberdyne currently markets the devices in a rental system which Omron will be introducing potential clients to, Omron said. Other robots include a compact transporter which can carry up to 200 kg and a cleaning robot suited for use in a location such as an office.