Something is fishy about a new sea creature at Aquamarine Fukushima in Japan. The sea creature is not alive- it is a robotic coelacanth, measuring about 1.2 meters long. Robotic coelacanth fish is on display at the permanent exhibition called The World of Coelacanth on the first floor of the aquarium in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The aquarium is famous for its study of coelacanths, a prehistoric fish that was once thought to be extinct. Researchers captured images of live coelacanths in waters off Indonesia using a remote underwater camera.
Robot maker CrazyLabo and the Kitakyushu National College of Technology, both in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan have developed a female humanoid and a dog robot that sniff a person’s breath and feet and use snarky remarks and exaggerated reactions to encourage offenders to do something about their breath and body odor. The female robot, Kaori-chan, has brown hair and blue eyes. When a person breathes in her face, she analyzes and quantifies components in their breath, and evaluates the smell on a scale of one to four.
A Japanese robot modeled after a female pop idol and equipped with the ability to recognize words and converse returned Wednesday to a department store in the city of Osaka where it debuted. The robot named Minami after a popular Osaka neighborhood will be on display until May 12 at the same Takashimaya department store where it was first unveiled in November. The older version of Minami had to rely on a touch panel for conversations, but the upgraded version is able to recognize questions and respond to them.
Japan has made quite a name for itself in the world of high-powered technology. Japan is so advanced today that even their street performers are technological geniuses. A creative craftsman in Osaka developed his own life-size singing robot, the likes of which are rarely found outside of the enclosed passages of Disney’s Small World attraction.
A 70-pound cheetah robot designed by MIT researchers may soon outpace its animal counterparts in running efficiency: In treadmill tests, the researchers have found that the robot — about the size and weight of an actual cheetah — wastes very little energy as it trots continuously for up to an hour and a half at 5 mph. The key to the robot’s streamlined stride: lightweight electric motors, set into its shoulders, that produce high torque with very little heat wasted.
Epson today announced the launch of its new H8 robots, the first models in its new flagship H series of horizontally articulated Scara robots. H8 robots are designed to automate tasks such as assembly and transport, are capable of handling payloads up to 8 kg, and are available in models with arm lengths of 450 mm, 550 mm, and 650 mm. In addition to Epson’s powerful Smart Motion Control technology, the robots in the H series have integrated QMEMS sensors. These technologies enable the robots to handle heavier payloads despite a compact, lightweight design. They also make it possible to provide the robots with a high-speed mode and a low-vibration mode.
The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan on Wednesday unveiled a series of robots and systems to help deal with disasters such as the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and reduce the danger for workers.The robots, developed under a one-year project, include a small remote-controlled machine dubbed the Sakura that carries a camera and thermal imager. Another is the bigger Tsubaki, which can tote measuring instruments weighing up to 50 kg to gather data from contaminated spots, such as inside the damaged reactor buildings at Fukushima.
Robovie a 1.2-meter robot developed by ATR joined the science class at Higashihikari Elementary School in Japan on Feb. 5 for the start of a 14-month experiment. Data will be gathered to improve the robot’s ability to interact naturally with multiple people. The robot has been given facial photos and voiceprints of 119 fifth graders and teachers. On the first day of class, Robovie greeted the students, and was asked by a teacher to answer what a “wound up copper wire” was. It answered, “A copper coil. It’s part of the motors that move my body.” During class Robovie waited at the back of the room, recognizing the faces of the students and recording their movements. After class it shook hands with sixth graders and answered their questions.
In early 1979, a cartoon series about giant robots, Mobile Suit Gundam, made its debut on Japanese television. It was not a hit. Scheduled to run for 12 months, the plug was about to be pulled after just 10 months. But then the show’s creators noticed something unexpected: it had a very loyal, if small, following. Fans were creating encyclopedias about the show and creating timelines of its events. The show was given a new lease on life — and the studio producing it took notice of which elements had proven most popular with its audience. Given a new chance and some creative tweaks, the “Gundam” shows became the basis of a sprawling series of cartoons, movies, comic books, video games, best-selling toys and more.
Seiko Epson will release a new series of vertical six-axis industrial robots on December 21, 2012. The two industrial robots in the new series are C4 and the C4L. The C4 can handle payloads up to 4 kg and boasts a 20% shorter cycle time (with a 3-kg payload) than its predecessor, the C3, which Epson released in July 2009. The C4L is a slim, long-arm (900 mm) model that maximizes space efficiency. . Like their predecessors, the C4 and C4L are highly compact and operate at high speeds with outstanding precision, making them ideal for tasks such as electronics assembly and automotive parts transport. However, the C4 and C4L deliver even higher throughput and can handle even heavier payloads.
Toshiba today announced that it has developed a tetrapod robot able to carry out investigative and recovery work in locations that are too risky for people to enter, such as Tokyo Electric Power Plant Fukushima No.1 Nuclear power plant. The new Toshiba robot integrates a camera and dosimeter and can investigate the condition of nuclear power plants by remote-controlled operation. The multiple joints of its legs are controlled by a dedicated movement algorithm that enables the robot to walk on uneven surfaces, avoid obstacles and climb stairs, securing access into areas that is challenging to be reached by wheeled robots or crawlers.
ASIMO, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot made a return trip to Switzerland this week to attend the Auto Zürich Car Show, the biggest motor show in the German-speaking part of the country. ASIMO is no stranger to the Alpine region, having visited five times in the last five years. ASIMO arrived in Zürich on Wednesday as a star guest at the show’s opening party.
The Life assist robot solutions business promotion, a joint initiative between Panasonic and Matsushita Memorial Hospital, was presented with the 5th Robot Award last month in Japan. The Robot Award, sponsored by the Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Japan Machinery Federation, recognizes robots, parts and software from those robots that are active in the market, that have made an outstanding contribution toward market creation, for the purpose of expanding the innovation and application of Japanese robotic technology, and toward stimulating demand.
Visitors to the Honda stand at Moscow International Automobile Salon will be treated to one of the largest showcases of Honda products and models ever shown in the country. This includes the entire line up of cars currently available in Russia, one concept (the Crosstour) and two brand new models, including the new CR-V, making its debut in the region. It was a first for Asimo too, being joined on stage by the innovative U3-X personal mobility device for the first time in Europe. Asimo and the U3-X are both part of Honda Robotics, Honda’s collective name for all of its robotics technologies and product applications created through its research and development of humanoid robots.
For years, the U.S. Navy has employed human divers, equipped with sonar cameras, to search for underwater mines attached to ship hulls. The Navy has also trained dolphins and sea lions to search for bombs on and around vessels. While animals can cover a large area in a short amount of time, they are costly to train and care for, and don’t always perform as expected.
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Toshiba today announced that it has developed a tetrapod robot able to carry out investigative and recovery work in locations that are too risky for people to enter, such as Tokyo Electric Power Plant Fukushima No.1 Nuclear power plant. The new Toshiba robot integrates a camera and dosimeter and can investigate the condition of nuclear power plants by remote-controlled operation. The multiple joints of its legs are controlled by a dedicated movement algorithm that enables the robot to walk on uneven surfaces, avoid obstacles and climb stairs, securing access into areas that is challenging to be reached by wheeled robots or crawlers. 
