As a new round of technology and industrial change takes shape, intelligent manufacturing has become a strategic high ground. Major manufacturing countries have issued policies to claim it. This installment looks at Japan, and at robots in particular.
Japan's 2017 results were closely tied to an aging population, a low birth rate, a tight labor market and frequent earthquakes. The emphasis was on medical and care robots, industrial robots and rescue robots.
In April 2017 the medical venture Tmsuk R&D and Tottori University Hospital introduced Mikoto, a 3D-printed patient simulator for training young doctors, medical students and emergency staff.
In May, Tokyo Institute of Technology showed a light four-legged robot that can carry heavy loads. Chemical-fiber tendons at the joints keep the machine light while delivering about three times the power of robots of similar weight. It is intended for rough ground at collapse sites, moving supplies and searching for people.
Through the year, Japanese labs and companies also pushed care robots for nursing homes and industrial robots aimed at factories short of skilled workers. The common thread is practical robots for a society with fewer working-age people.
