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Japanese Robot Awards 2006 Announced
PreacherTom writes to mention that this past Thursday many robots were honored at the government-sponsored Robot Awards 2006 in Japan. Winners include a feeding machine, a theraputic seal, and a giant automated vacuum cleaner. From the article: "Examples among the winners were MySpoon, which is a robot that helps to feed people who are paralyzed, and Paro, a furry robotic seal that responds to human touch and is designed for nursing home and hospital therapy."
Special Report / Japan’s humanoid robots
Better than people
Dec 20th 2005 | TOKYO
From The Economist print edition
Why the Japanese want their robots to act more like humans
IMAGE (Getty Images)
HER name is MARIE, and her impressive set of skills comes in handy in a nursing home. MARIE can walk around under her own power. She can distinguish among similar-looking objects, such as different bottles of medicine, and has a delicate enough touch to work with frail patients. MARIE can interpret a range of facial expressions and gestures, and respond in ways that suggest compassion. Although her language skills are not ideal, she can recognise speech and respond clearly. Above all, she is inexpensive. Unfortunately for MARIE, however, she has one glaring trait that makes it hard for Japanese patients to accept her: she is a flesh-and-blood human being from the Philippines. If only she were a robot instead.
Robots, you see, are wonderful creatures, as many a Japanese will tell you. They are getting more adept all the time, and before too long will be able to do cheaply and easily many tasks that human workers do now. They will care for the sick, collect the rubbish, guard homes and offices, and give directions on the street.
This is great news in Japan, where the population has peaked, and may have begun shrinking in 2005. With too few young workers supporting an ageing population, somebody—or something—needs to fill the gap, especially since many of Japan’s young people will be needed in science, business and other creative or knowledge-intensive jobs.
Many workers from low-wage countries are eager to work in Japan. The Philippines, for example, has over 350,000 trained nurses, and has been pleading with Japan—which accepts only a token few—to let more in. Foreign pundits keep telling Japan to do itself a favour and make better use of cheap imported labour. But the consensus among Japanese is that visions of a future in which immigrant workers live harmoniously and unobtrusively in Japan are pure fancy. Making humanoid robots is clearly the simple and practical way to go.
Japan certainly has the technology. It is already the world leader in making industrial robots, which look nothing like pets or people but increasingly do much of the work in its factories. Japan is also racing far ahead of other countries in developing robots with more human features, or that can interact more easily with people. A government report released this May estimated that the market for “service robots” will reach ¥1.1 trillion ($10 billion) within a decade.
The country showed off its newest robots at a world exposition this summer in Aichi prefecture. More than 22m visitors came, 95% of them Japanese. The robots stole the show, from the nanny robot that babysits to a Toyota that plays a trumpet. And Japan’s robots do not confine their talents to controlled environments. As they gain skills and confidence, robots such as Sony’s QRIO (pronounced “curio”) and Honda’s ASIMO are venturing to unlikely places. They have attended factory openings, greeted foreign leaders, and rung the opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange. ASIMO can even take the stage to accept awards.
The friendly face of technology
So Japan will need workers, and it is learning how to make robots that can do many of their jobs. But the country’s keen interest in robots may also reflect something else: it seems that plenty of Japanese really like dealing with robots.
Few Japanese have the fear of robots that seems to haunt westerners in seminars and Hollywood films. In western popular culture, robots are often a threat, either because they are manipulated by sinister forces or because something goes horribly wrong with them.
link please?
I'm pretty sure this is a dupe, mostly because I submitted the same story a few days ago. Everyone, get your +5 insightfuls here!
games journalism blog
And the winner is PreacherTom!
Congratulations.
Your prize is an extended linkspam contract with Slashdot and the peace of mind which comes with knowing that your every submission will be automatically accepted.
You get to Astroturf your blog/linkfarm on Slashdot to your heart's content, sharing the ad revenue you earn from gullible Slashdotters with Zonk, ScuttleMonkey and kdawson.
Long may you reign as the new Roland.
Or do regular clubs work?
(Thanks for the tip!)
Open Source Drum Kit, LPLC deve board - mjhdesigns.com
But the consensus among Japanese is that visions of a future in which immigrant workers live harmoniously and unobtrusively in Japan are pure fancy.
Hm.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
D'you think you could post more stories with the Christmas tree? C'mon, we only get it once a year, and we'll be spitting at it in bitter remorse in a few hours. You're getting me out of the Christmas spirit!!
"You know you don't act like a scientist, you're more like a game show host." Dana Barret
At least Piquepaille usually remembered to include actual links, albeit to the plagiarized content on his own website...but what exactly is it we're supposed to be looking at with this moronic story submission?
I don't know who is dumber: PreacherTom the story submitter, or ScuttleMonkey the story "editor". Yeesh!
Frankie had better win.
Coolest cyborg ever.
Anybody else notice that his VA and Mr. 2 Bon Clay's are the same?
I guess Slashdot editors have resigned themselves to the inevitable fact that it's unnecessary to actually read an article before commenting.
Deleted
Guess I'd try some if it was around, I've tried a huge variety of normal game. I remember way back when whalemeat was still legal in the US but I never tried any then, now I am upset I didn't. It is unobtanium now/highly illegal unless you are an eskimo and live in alaska. And even there they don't force them to live like they used to, they can use motorboats and .50 caliber rifles instead of paddles and spears. I say if they want the olden days rules, they should be limited to olden days tech.
Ok, I understand that some people want to pet a stuffed toy and pretend that it's a baby seal. I mean actually do this more than once.
Let's say that this applies to say, 1% of the population.
Ok, now you stick some robotics into your stuffed toy (they would have said "clockwork" a hundred years ago), does that really raise the percentage of people interested in petting the stuffed toy and pretending that it's a real seal?
I mean I like stuffed toys myself, but I can't imagine that putting machinery inside of one makes it better. Since you don't have to pretend that it's moving or anything, I think you're MORE likely to be thinking of it as just an object, in case you'll think of it as a machine rather than as a pillow.
I mean lets face it, the smartest computerized toy is no nearer to being a real seal than an ordinary doll is.
And isn't the whole premise awfully condescending and insulting? If you want to help old people get over loneliness, why are you foisting toys on them rather than say, time with a real human being, or a real pet?
Am I the only one who read "Robotic baby seal" and immediately thought of pitting it against an Asimo robot with a club?
Corollary to Hanlon's razor: Any significantly advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from malice.