Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's voice soars to the rafters of the Tuscan theater, but all eyes are on the orchestral conductor beside him — a robot with an apparent penchant for Verdi. The concert in the heart of Pisa is a world first, with two ...
Do your feet smell bad? Just a little or absolutely awful? If you don't dare to ask a friend, one Japanese startup might have the answer with a new robot dog that will sniff your feet and give you a pitilessly honest verdict — even ...
Robotic vacuum cleaners, washer dryers and dishwashers are popular among two-income households, as they afford families more free time by relieving them of daily chores, according to electronics makers and retailers. Electronics chain Bic Camera Inc. said the number of robot cleaners it sold in ...
The National Museum of Nature and Science on Tuesday added Sony Corp.'s Trinitron color television and HRP-2 Promet, a humanoid robot made in 2003 to a list of important historical materials. The 36-inch model of the high-definition Trinitron TV, released in 1990, was among 15 ...
Passengers' baggage is collected by robots, they relax in a luxurious waiting area and then get a face scan and swiftly pass through security and immigration — this could be the airport of the future. Planners hope this vision will become reality as new technology ...
Kisaku Suzuki, creator of the world's first sushi robot, once ran a company that made candy-wrapping machines. And he was angry. Why had the Japanese government embarked on a policy to limit rice production, effectively paying some farmers to keep their paddy fields idle? For ...
A labor shortage could fuel the nation's next innovation boom.
Faced with their worst labor shortage in decades, Japanese service companies are finally turning to labor-saving technology, an investment that could lift the sector's woeful level of productivity and allow them to raise wages. While the nation's manufacturers are renowned for deploying advanced robotics, most ...
Japan is favoring more machines over increased immigration to bolster its dwindling workforce, but that solution won't increase domestic consumption.
SoftBank Group Corp.'s humanoid robot Pepper has taken on various roles since its mass-market debut in 2015. The 1.2-meter tall robots with round white heads have been deployed to banks, sushi shops and nursing homes. Now, Pepper will don a Buddhist monk's robe. Kanagawa-based Nissei Eco ...
On his first day at work as a security guard, Steve was greeted warmly, drawing attention from passers-by, including some taking selfies with him at the tony retail-residential complex he patrolled. Then he fell into the fountain. Steve was a security robot employed by the Washington ...
A born-in-Japan competition of low-tech clunky robots is gaining traction in many countries, spreading its motto that "All failures are beautiful." Hebocon, as the competition is called, encourages young people to come up with their own robot creations. In May, dozens of people gathered in San ...
