Cutting-edge humanoid robots on display at Tokyo show
Robots equipped with cutting-edge technologies that perform duties on behalf of humans at workplaces and disaster-hit sites are on display at the 2025 International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo on Thursday (December 4).
- Kawasaki Heavy Industries is showcasing its Kaleido humanoid robot, which demonstrated its ability to extinguish a fire, move a 30kg shelf, and perform a rescue.
- Other robots on display include one from GMO Internet Group that can dance and serve cafe customers, and an AI-powered robot from Yaskawa Electric that cleans and tidies an office.
- A robot from Man-Machine Synergy Effectors, integrated with an aerial work platform, can be remotely operated by a human wearing VR goggles to perform maintenance tasks.
- The biennial robot exhibition in Tokyo features a record 673 companies and organizations, with a focus on humanoid and AI-powered robots.
At the exhibition, which kicked off at Tokyo Big Sight on Wednesday, the spotlight is on humanoid robots as well as those powered by artificial intelligence.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. is showcasing the newest model of its humanoid robot Kaleido, which is equipped with technologies such as autonomous movement and remote control.
In a demonstration held the same day, the robot extinguished a mock fire, removed a fallen shelf weighing 30 kilograms and rescued a dummy cat.
"We focus on a human-sized design so that our robots can use fireproof clothing and devices," a company official said.
GMO Internet Group Inc. is demonstrating a humanoid robot that can show various movements, such as dancing while jumping and serving customers at a cafe.
Joining hands with SoftBank Corp., Yaskawa Electric Corp. is exhibiting a near-future office where robots work alongside humans.
At the office, a physical AI robot immediately grasps the situation based on photos taken by a camera and moves to clean and tidy up items in the room.
Man-Machine Synergy Effectors Inc. is displaying a robot integrated with an aerial work platform.
The robot enables humans wearing virtual reality goggles to move its viewpoint and arms to conduct such work as maintaining railway facilities and timber felling.
The 26th edition of the biennial robot exhibition has brought together a record 673 companies and organisations.
During the session through Saturday, the exhibition is expected to attract more than 150,000 visitors.
The admission fee is 1,000 yen, but entry is free for junior high school students and younger children.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
