Tag - robots

 
 

ROBOTS

BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 24, 2019
Laundry-phobics' dreams crushed as Tokyo-based developer of Laundroid robot files for bankruptcy
When Seven Dreamers Laboratories Inc. unveiled its prototype laundry-folding robot in 2015, it generated a buzz, with people saying they couldn't wait to buy one if it ever went to market.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 16, 2019
Robot overlords wouldn't be the worst
They can't match humanity's malice and greed.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2019
Japan to put robotics prowess on show during 2020 Olympics by helping staff and visitors alike
Acting on its aim to make the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics "the most innovative in history," organizers on Friday unveiled robots that will be deployed to assist spectators and staff during the games.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 11, 2019
Japan's Komeito political party seeks international regulations on robotic weapons
A project team of Komeito, the junior partner in the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition, has presented to Foreign Minister Taro Kono its proposals for an international agreement to regulate robotic weapons development.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Mar 6, 2019
Robot rights: From Asimov to Tezuka
Asimov's 'Three Laws of Robotics' are fictional rules, so why do we keep looking to them for guidance? The closest thing to real-world robot law we could have more seems likely to develop around the question of when autonomous military drones can make 'kill' decisions without human intervention.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 23, 2019
Kannon Bodhisattva robot unveiled at Kyoto temple to share Buddha's religious teachings
A robot modeled after Kannon Bodhisattva and designed to explain the teachings of Buddha in plain terms was unveiled to the media at Kodaiji Temple in the city of Kyoto on Saturday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 18, 2019
Sharp takes wraps off new RoBoHoN, with apps aimed at getting families and firms used to 'life with robots'
Sharp Corp. on Monday released three new models of its RoBoHoN humanoid robot with a wider range of use for families and corporate clients.
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2019
Tepco to deploy robot for first contact with melted fuel from Fukushima No. 1 nuclear disaster
The owner of the wrecked Fukushima No. 1 power plant is trying this week to touch melted fuel at the bottom of the plant for the first time since the disaster almost eight years ago, a tiny but key step toward retrieving the radioactive material amid a ¥21.5 trillion ($195 billion) cleanup effort.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 7, 2019
Long-distance laundry: Japanese startup unveils remote-controlled robot that deals with your dirties
In a few years, perhaps for some the most dreaded household chore may be taken over by robots.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 7, 2019
Tokyo mecha bar targets middle-aged fans of the anime genre as it reopens following remodeling work
Sipping booze while being surrounded by a small army of robot figures may not be a relaxing setting for ordinary bar-goers.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 4, 2019
Rewriting the future of work
Three common assumptions skew economists' forecasts of automation's impact on employment.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 23, 2019
Latest trick for Sony's Aibo robotic pooch: Acting as watchdog
Sony Corp. on Wednesday showed off the latest tricks of its signature robotic dog, Aibo, including a new security capability of patrolling inside a house.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 19, 2019
Bacteria-inspired Swiss microbot will be able to deliver drugs inside human body
A tiny sliver of elastic material swims along a narrow tube, coiling up and changing shape in response to the thickness of fluid and the contours of the tube around it as it moves toward its goal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 27, 2018
Does Toyota dream of robotic housekeepers?
Toyota Motor Corp. has sold enough cars to put one outside every Japanese home. Now it wants to put robots inside those homes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2018
Lovot, Japan's new touchy-feely family robot, aims to spread a little love
Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world, but it also might be the loneliest. So much so that its people may need to be taught how to love by a robot.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2018
Air hockey-playing robot shows how Huawei haunts T-Mobile's Sprint deal
Huawei Technologies Co. and wireless carrier SoftBank Group Corp.' close business dealings could be an issue in T-Mobile U.S. Inc.'s proposed purchase of SoftBank's Sprint Corp.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 28, 2018
Furhat, a robot with the human touch, wants to hear your woes
Furhat tilts his or her head, smiles, exudes empathy and warmth, and encourages us to open up. The robot, a 3D bust with a projection of a humanlike face, aims to build on our newfound ease talking to voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, by persuading us to interact with it as if it were a person, picking...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 19, 2018
SoftBank's new robot Whiz skips the chit chat, gets to work mopping office floors
SoftBank Group Corp. is introducing a new robot that, unlike the talkative Pepper, skips the chit chat and just mops the floor.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 18, 2018
Computers may reshape jobs, but they won't eliminate them
Take predictions that artificial intelligence and robots will cause massive unemployment in the future with a grain of salt.
JAPAN
Nov 15, 2018
Over 80% of Japanese positive about robotic nursing care
Over 80 percent of people in Japan hold positive views about receiving nursing care from robots, according to a survey by nursing care service provider Orix Living Corp.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji