Toyota Unveils Personal-transport,
Violin-playing Robots
Tokyo – Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC)
unveiled today two new robots, a “Mobility Robot” and a
“Violin-playing Robot”—the newest additions to its Toyota
Partner Robots being developed to support people’s everyday
life.
The mobility robot, which is
capable of autonomous movement over uneven ground and around
obstacles, provides transport in places where people usually
walk; the violin-playing robot, equipped with a total of 17
joints in both of its hands and arms, uses precise control and
coordination to achieve human-like dexterity.
Toyota Partner Robots are
envisioned to assist people in four main fields: 1) domestic
duties, 2) nursing and healthcare, 3) manufacturing and 4)
short-distance personal transport. To this end, TMC’s primary
developmental focuses are on technology that works in harmony
with people—such as that for assistance devices that can help
move heavy instruments in a factory, on mobility technology for
autonomous movement, on full-body coordination for walking and
jumping and on tool manipulation. The two robots presented today
represent advances along these lines, with the mobility robot
demonstrating achievements in field 4) and the violin-playing
robot demonstrating achievements in fields 1) and 2).
Also, TMC announced today that it
aims to realize practical use of Toyota Partner Robots in the
early 2010s by furthering its robotic development and
strengthening collaboration among industry, government and
academia. TMC, to help make future society healthy and
comfortable, is pursuing sustainability in research and
development, manufacturing and social contribution as part of
its “three sustainabilities” concept.
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