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Tokyo University and Toyota Develop New Home Assistant Robot

 The Center of IRT (CIRT ) at the University of Tokyo announced on Oct. 24 a new humanoid robot that can help with household chores. The new robot called AR (for Assistant Robot) was developed under a joint project between Prof. Masayuki Inaba's team and Toyota.

(Photograph borrowed from ROBOT WATCH)

AR is about 1.6 meters tall and weighs 130kg. It has 32 degrees of freedom - 3 on the neck and head, 7 on both arms, 6 on each hands, 1 on the hip and 2 on the wheels.

The robot has 3 key functions according to ROBOT WATCH.

1. It can recognize the environment by combining the data from its laser rangefinder and stereo camera.

2. It can create motions based on a 3D geometric model.

3. It can visually determine whether its task was successful or not, and if not, it can try again.

The group showed AR picking up a tray and bringing it to the sink, pick up a T shirt from a chair and put it in the washer and then press the button as well as sweeping the floor.  It seems to have taken a lot of time for AR to accomplish these tasks but you can see the videos on ROBOT WATCH.

Besides AR, CIRT is working on 3 other robots which will all be announced by the end of this year. A personal mobility robot that can carry a single passenger, a kitchen robot and a type of robot that is "attached to" humans (whatever this means).

Blending IT and Robotics at Tokyo University

In summer of 2006, 7 major Japanese companies announced that they will be funding the Center of IRT (CIRT) at the University of Tokyo. IRT stands for the integration of Information Technology and Robot Technology. The goal of CIRT is for academia and industry to get together to come up with innovative technical solutions to support the aging Japanese society by blending IT and RT, which till recently were considered very different disciplines in Japan. IT was the place for computer scientists whereas RT was led by mechanical engineers.

So what are the 7 companies up to? Some insight was provided at a recent symposium at CIRT. You can read full coverage of this symposium in this article (in Japanese) on ROBOT WATCH, but here is a brief summary.

Panasonic is working with Prof. Tomomasa Sato in developing a logistical support system for the home using an "intelligent container" and a mobile robot that hangs from the ceiling which will bring you the container with the things you need in it. Panasonic is working on the cameras and RFID tags that will be necessary for this system.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries known for the wakamaru robot is working on how to make wakamaru recognize human motion and gestures.

Toyota and Fujitsu are working with Prof. Masayuki Inaba. Prof. Inaba's team is currently developing a robot that will be able to travel autonomously from Tokyo University to Akihabara. Another project is a robot for the kitchen, specifically one that can carry and put away the dishes after a human washes them. (Dish washers are not as common in Japan as in other parts of the world.)

Toyota is also working on a robotic service dog as well as a robotic device meant for rehab that can assist walking. 

Fujitsu - which has a service robot produt called enon - is hoping to develop techniques for the robot to communicate more effectively with humans through eye contact and audio.

The giant printing company Toppan Printing is trying to figure out whether its display technology can be utilized to assist the lives of the elderly and Olympus would like to see its MEMS technology used to make sensors for all the five senses for robots.

Too bad I don't see anything about Sega (the 7th company participating in CIRT) in this article.

Toyota announces 2 new robots

Toyota announced on Dec. 6th two new robots as well as the grand scheme on where it's heading in the development of what it calls the "Partner Robots."

One is the Mobility Robot which is meant for moving people/things from one place to another. It can move at 6km/hour and continue going for about 20km after charging the battery for an hour. It can also climb a 10 degree slope and  avoid obstacles.

The Mobility Robot is 1 meter high when boarding and 1.1 meter when moving. It weighs 150 kg.

The second is the Violin Robot which is 1.5 meter tall and weighs 56 kg. This robot can play the violin skillfully with its 17 joints on both arms and hands, according to Asahi. The goal is to make this robot capable enough to assist with household chores.

According to Nikkei, Toyota will embark on trials utilizing these robots at hospitals and recreational facilities that are operated by its group companies starting next year. Also Toyota is planning to double the number of researchers working on the Partner Robots to about 200 within 3 years. The company's robotics researchers are currently scattered in 3 locations but will be consolidated into a new R&D center in Toyoda City that will open by spring of 2009.

What is most interesting to me is the fact that Toyota seems to be very open about the kinds of robots it is working on and when it plans to deliver them. This is a very different philosophy compared to Honda which is super secretive about where it is heading with the ASIMO.

Toyota's guide robot ROBINA makes its debut

Toyota held a press conference in Japan showing off its new service robot  TPR-ROBINA. The robot will be used as a guide at the company's exhibition facility.

According to well-known and credible journalist Kazumichi Moriyama who attended the press event, the name "ROBINA" comes from  "ROBot as INtelligent Assistant." The robot's face is supposed to portray "kindness" and "calmness" - although by reading the comments on this Engadget post, Toyota doesn't seem to have succeeded in doing this.  Besides giving a tour of Toyota's facility, ROBINA can sign an autograph too.

Moriyama has written this article on Robot Watch - a popular online publication. But what's more interesting is what he's written on his personal blog which is being read by thousands of people daily.

He says that the voice recognition system on ROBINA was "terrible" and that the crowd was not an excuse. It was difficult to tell what ROBINA was trying to do or where ROBINA was heading - lack of expressiveness - which is a detriment for a "guide."

So maybe Toyota does need help from Sony after all..........

AP followup on Toyota-Sony deal

There is a followup article on the Toyota-Sony deal sent by the Associated Press on PHYSORG.com. According to a Sony spokesperson, "Seven Sony researchers are temporarily working in Toyota's partner robot research unit to help relay the technology to Toyota."

What usually happens in these kinds of deals in Japan is that the employees "on lease" will formally switch over to the interested company in about an year. The employees have an option to stay within the original organization, but in most cases they choose to switch over so that they can continue with the research they love. The reason that they don't switch over immediately is cultural - Japanese companies/people like a more gradual change than a drastic one.

As this AP article says, "Sony Corp.'s technology for Aibo and the childlike Qrio is still being kept in-house at the Japanese electronics and entertainment company," so we can't expect that Toyota will be coming out with another pet robot anytime soon.   

Toyota-Sony article translation

  So here it is. Thanks to MK-san, I now have a copy of the Nikkei Business article from the most recent Aug. 27 issue. The news about Toyota and Sony is actually part of the cover story focusing on the new growth strategies of auto manufacturers. The main headline of the cover story is "Car Manufacturers Start Off to the New Horizon" and the subtitle is "SCOOP - Toyota buys Sony's Robotics Division." The following is a translation of the beginning of the cover story.

==Nikkei Business has discovered that Toyota Motor has purchased Sony's robotics research division.

  Toyota, which celebrates it's 70th year in business this year, will be announcing it's mid and long term corporate vision by November when it is scheduled to hold its anniversary event. The company is thinking of including in this vision an outline of its future robot development which will be utilizing the technologies that it has bought.

  Sony has led the robotics field in Japan by developing the pet robot AIBO and humanoid QRIO.  However, when the company's core electronics division tumbled down into the red, management changed. Sir Howard Stringer who became chairman in June 2005 wasted no time in restructuring the money-losing organizations and more or less decided to withdraw from the robotics market and sell the related division.

  He talked with Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho who was on the Sony board and negotiations proceeded. Toyota which aims to strengthen its robotics business "has brought in (Sony's) division including the personnel" according to one Toyota-related person familiar with the deal.   

  The origin of Toyota's robotics business is the industrial robots that it developed for use in its own factories. The Partner Robot Development Division was born out of the multijoint robots that are used in welding and coating. The fact that the Partner Robot group belongs to the Manufacturing Technology Headquarters shows how Toyota had positioned its robotics business until now.

  The Partner Robot group has been successful in developing the artificial lips (among other things) for robots. In 2005 during the Aichi Expo the robots performed instruments for a large audience.

  Toyota is currently planning on setting up a robotics research facility inside its Hirose Plant in Toyoda City of Aichi Prefecture. The company is thinking of 4 areas to which its robotics technologies can be applied  - household chores, assistance in nursing and medical care, manufacturing and personal mobility.

  Within this framework, the purchase of Sony's division is a turning point. Toyota's robots are set to spread out into areas outside of manufacturing.

  Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe talks about his firm's robotics business in the following way.

  "Toyota's technologies should be utilized not just in manufacturing but in other areas such as nursing care. We have the best technologies when it comes to moving hands and feet. But if you want to decide (who's the best) by the (robot's) brain, it seems we are still not that good. So I've told the employees involved in this to thoroughly examine how we need to collaborate."

  In other words, Toyota wants to expand its reach into welfare and services by coming out with new mobility platforms.

  Sony has plenty of know-how in this field.

  Sony started developent of its humanoid robot in 1997 and came out with its first generation model in 2000.  The second generation robot that came out in 2002 was named QRIO and it was able to dance, recognize people's faces and have an easy conversation with people.

  The robots collect the data from the many sensors and cameras on its feet and body and autonomously make decisions. Sony - which had developed robots from an entertainment standpoint - was better at processing data.

  But Sony's robotics research subsidiary ceased operation in July of 2006 and the 13 employees that worked there were transferred to the lab of the parent company. Now some of them have moved their desks to Toyota's research division in Odaiba, Tokyo.

  There is a reason for Toyota - which is famous for its sound management practices - to rush into the roboitcs business. It needs a breakthrough for further growth. When you take a look at its financials, the firm is expecting a consolidated net profit of 1.65 trillion yen for the fiscal year ending in March 2008. A spectacular year. No better timing than now to start building up its efforts in robots and personal transporters.==       

 

  And the story goes on about how the major Japanese auto companies are strategizing on emerging markets, software development, intellectual property management and so on, but I'll stop here.

  Well, unfortunately the story didn't have much detail on the scheme of the deal, but one thing is for sure. We'll be seeing more robots coming out from Toyota and GetRobo will keep you posted.

Sony's response to the report on deal with Toyota

  So, I have yet to get hold of a hard copy of the most recent issue of Nikkei Business, and I plan to post an English translation/excerpt as soon as I do, but for the time being here is the translation of Sony's public response to yesterday's report on the deal with Toyota.

  "Sony has not transferred its robotics research and development results including AIBO and QRIO, nor the organization involved in robotics research. In the end of March 2007, Sony transferred to Toyota Motor the R&D results of a single-seated transporter that Sony had been working on as a project. Some of the Sony employees that worked on the R&D are currently on lease for a specific period of time to Toyota so that they can transfer the know-how. Sony is not disclosing the details of the R&D conducted within the company."   

Toyota to buy Sony's robotics division

  A big, yes HUGE, scoop for Nikkei Business - the leading business magazine in Japan.

  Toyota is buying Sony's robotics division, including the AIBO, QRIO and the people that work on them. The details such as timing and financial terms are not known to GetRobo at this minute because Nikkei Business has only podcasted the outline of its story, and the other Japanese media outlets have not yet reported on it.

  But according to the podcast, the deal came about from Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho who was on the board at Sony when Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer decided to get rid of the money losing divison. Toyota has been working on robots for a while but a Toyota executive in the Nikkei Business article willingly admits that it's work in the "intelligence" does not meet its strength in mechanics. Purchasing Sony's division will fill that gap.

  As Yoshiya Sato, editor-in-chief of Nikkei Business comments in the podcast, the deal is indeed a "gorgeous combination" of companies.

  Sony's response here.

  And an update on this here.