Robotics

Three out of five Japanese teams were particularly highlighted in the CYBATHLON 2020, a unique championship in which people with disabilities tackle everyday tasks using advanced technologies. Congratulations to Fortississimo from Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology, RT-Movers from Wakayama University and BionicM Inc., a spin-off of the University of Tokyo for making the top 4! Viewership from Japan of the Swiss-made global online competition seemed to be quite high, especially for the powered wheelchair and leg races where the above teams participated, with the country ranking being second only after Switzerland.

Yamato Holdings and Japan Post will begin testing delivery robots on streets in Tokyo next month in a move aimed at promoting unmanned delivery technology, which has already taken off in the U.S. and China.

Nearly two dozen major Japanese companies will join an effort to help workplaces more easily accommodate robots, in hopes of improving productivity and relieving chronic labor shortages in such areas as retail and logistics.

A “robotic shopping cart” being developed by researchers here can lead elderly people to items they’re searching for and steer them through the store while keeping clear of other customers.

Japanese contractor Obayashi has started to build a dam almost entirely with robots, addressing the industry's labor shortage and aging workforce.

The operator of Mos Burger will test a new system in which people with disabilities serve customers using remotely controlled robots.

East Japan Railway Co. on Monday unveiled autonomous disinfection and mobility robots at its recently opened high-tech station in Tokyo, as it aims to introduce them by March 2025.

Japan is paving the way for autonomous delivery robots to become part of everyday life as the social distancing drive for the coronavirus pandemic makes the push all the more vital.

Guests at a luxury campground in Japan's Nagano Prefecture will be able to have meals delivered via self-driving robots, thanks to a service from Rakuten and the Tokyu group launching next month.

In August, a robot vaguely resembling a kangaroo will begin stacking sandwiches, drinks and ready meals on shelves at a Japanese convenience store in a test its maker, Telexistence, hopes will help trigger a wave of retail automation.