Robots Entering Daily Life in Japan

USA Today is running a story about the emergence of robots in common aspects of life in Japan. Many simple yet social jobs are being filled by robots of increasing sophistication. The article suggests that Japanese culture is more open to such interaction than the majority of other cultures. Quoting: "For Japan, the robotics revolution is an imperative. With more than a fifth of the population 65 or older, the country is banking on robots to replenish the workforce and care for the elderly. The government estimates the industry could surge from about $5.2 billion in 2006 to $26 billion in 2010 and nearly $70 billion by 2025. Besides financial and technological power, the robot wave is favored by the Japanese mind-set as well. Robots have long been portrayed as friendly helpers in Japanese popular culture, a far cry from the often rebellious and violent machines that often inhabit Western science fiction."

Comments

Robots are here

[BWJones]

Last time I was in Japan, (scroll down for the robot) progress in the Toyota Partner Robot development was truly impressive. They have amazingly smooth, articulated motions, can walk with close to natural gaits and can climb stairs. Robots, whether fully autonomous or semi-autonomous are here to stay in rolls from support like the ones being developed in Japan or for defense/warfare applications like I saw on my recent visit to Creech AFB. I gotta say though, that this robot has got to be one of my favorites and this robot has got to be one of the creepiest.

Tentacles

[Gothmolly]

But do they have the necessary tentacles for normal, healthy Japanese sex?

I hate this characterization of the West

[MyNameIsFred]

...a far cry from the often rebellious and violent machines that often inhabit Western science fiction...

This type of statement is frequently used to explain this is why Western society doesn't embrace robots. In my view, this has very little to do with it. Western societies don't embrace robots because most forms of automated interaction have been vastly annoying. Who doesn't love calling a company and getting "Press 3 for customer service" and going thru ten menus before getting a human who can actually help. Who doesn't love help systems on computers that try to figure out what you're doing and help you. "It looks like you're trying to write a letter, may I help?" No! Just stop annoying me. How about voice recognition systems that are iffy at best. No I did not say "Got my first real sex dream, I was 5 at the time." I said, "Got my first real six string, bought it at the five-and-dime." The list goes no. Once more user friendly systems are developed I have no doubt that robots and similar systems will be widely accepted.

Re:I hate this characterization of the West

[garett_spencley]

I think there is also a fear that robots (like other forms of automation in the past) will slowly "steal" people's jobs.

Re:I hate this characterization of the West

[ScrewMaster]

I tend to agree ... and it's not as if Japanese pop culture isn't filled with rebellious and violent material too, machines included. And there've been plenty of Western books and movies that have portrayed robots in a very positive light.

We also haven't embraced robots in the industrial sector to the extent that the Japanese have, and much of that has to do with the perception of them as human replacements, not because they're rebellious and violent. Honestly, it's the humans that often get rebellious and violent when faced with the prospect of losing their jobs to a machine.

Re:I hate this characterization of the West

[vertinox]

This type of statement is frequently used to explain this is why Western society doesn't embrace robots.

It also might explain why western robots in development usually have guns on them. I mean iRobot is the most popular robotics company in the USA but most of their money comes from military contracts and not consumer sales.

Re:I hate this characterization of the West

[jcnnghm]

But if you look at actual robots, like the Roomba, you can see they're pretty readily embraced. I have both a Roomba and a Scooba, and I couldn't be happier with them. I was extremely skeptical when I got the Roomba, but I thought for $149 I could at least try it. Sit it down, press the button, go to work, come home to a clean floor, it doesn't get any easier. I know of at least 4 people that have bought these robots after I did, once they saw mine in action.

I think that people, as you were saying, are more concerned that the robots won't work well, than that they are dangerous. Once they know somebody with one or see one in action, it becomes a no brainer.

Re:I hate this characterization of the West

[hvm2hvm]

you have a good point. we might just be a link in the chain of evolution. since the planet is probably going to become unsuitable for 'green' life in time, the robots could be the only ones able to survive. maybe this is our purpose all along (that is to create the robots). sure, not a good thing for us, but if the robots do become more intelligent and capable than us, they are a normal step in evolution, hence better for life in general.

Re:I hate this characterization of the West

[bluehairedpete]

Also, in America we already have a large supply of cheap, exploitable labor via illegal Mexican immigrants. Japan's much stiffer immigration laws don't allow for this. As long as robots cost more than 5 bucks an hour, they will never make a dent in America.

Re:I hate this characterization of the West

[garett_spencley]

Assuming that you can consider the robots to be "life".

Re:I hate this characterization of the West

[Not_Wiggins]

More likely it is because the West (VERY specifically America) is a litigious society; before any company would introduce autonomous machinery (beyond the most basic that we have today) into the everyday life of Americans, they need to be darn sure that it won't kill/mame/hurt/offend anyone lest they be sued out of existence.

FP had an excellent link to a snowplowing robot. How long do you think that would be in operation before some kid threw himself under it and the place using the robot to clean the parking lot and the manufacturer of the robot got sued?

Children of Men

[Thagg]

I thought the most thought provoking movie of last year was Children of Men, about the collapse of society when there are no more children. It was one of those movies where a simple premise is carried to the logical extreme, and it's more than a little depressing.

But, coincidentally, the next day I saw a demonstration of ASIMO, Honda's self-contained little robot -- and it resonated so well with the movie that it's hard to believe in coincidence anymore.

The Japanese are already living in that Children of Men world, their birthrate is shockingly low, and they have almost no immigration, so the population is shrinking quickly, especially of young people.

So, what do the Japanese do? Rather than despair (as they did in England, in the movie) they just build a generation of robots...

Simplistic, I know.

Re:Children of Men

[ucblockhead]

There's a huge difference between few children and no children. The England of the book was despairing because the people new that with no children at all, there was no future and that those alive were just marking time until the eventual death of civilization. Very different for Japan, where there's every reason to expect that Japan will be a major world player for the next 100 years, 200 years, who knows how long? With 135 million people crammed in a country the size of the Japanese mainland, a drop in the population over time may actually improve matters for the people living there and the country as a whole.

Anyway, the point is that "Children of Men" wasn't about low birth rate. It is about being forced to confront your civilization having no future, and your life having no meaning.

Common worries

[Subm]

A lot of people worry about the risk of robots taking over, like they'll start running the world as robotic overlords.

Not a problem. If anything goes wrong, just set off a nuclear weapon in the bay. The giant lizards and flying turtles will solve everything.

The robots seem powerful, but once they've shot off all the missiles that are their fingers, they're mostly harmless.

Robots are everywhere, but

[El Lobo]

Yes, people seem to be afraid of **androids***(robots with a human shape), but seem to naturally accept other kind of robots. Hmm... let me see: trafic lights, alarm clocks, car soldering machines, etc are more or less complicated robots.

Interesting, but in Korea, years ago, there was an experiment when trafic lights (or semaphores, whatever) were substituted by an android (a robot police man, showing some Stop and Go signals). The results were very negative. The respect that traficants normally have for ordinary trafic lights was sometimes nearly gone when the android was used... Fear? Disrespect? Whatever...

Re:Robots are everywhere, but

[schnikies79]

I can't find the link at the moment, but I remember a study where humans generally find almost human-like characters revolting. I believe it came out at about the same time as "The Polar Express." I know many people who said the faces were just too creepy and they couldn't watch it.

It was something along the lines of the brain treating it like a horridly disfigured person.

Re:Robots are everywhere, but

[hughperkins]

http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=853

It's much more about cheap labor.

[HornWumpus]

If Japan had a Mexico on its southern borders they wouldn't be working on robots so much ether.

Give NAFTA another ten years and we will need robots for lots of stoop work as well. It's already starting with crop work (Grape harvesting is switching over to robots as we speak).

Re:It's much more about cheap labor.

[couchslug]

Machines are great for removing the need for stoop labor and the suffering that goes with it.

Note how efficient coal mining has become. Instead of many peons with picks and shovels (and a miner death rate like Chinas) we have a few skilled workers and many machines for both open and underground mining. There is every reason to remove people from the job except as supervisors.

Four words

[call-me-kenneth]

Crush the fleshy ones!

Those Japanese birth rates

[Cathoderoytube]

I may be a bit cynical but I think the main reason robots haven't caught on in a lot of places outside of Japan is because our birth rates are still good. I've seen the videos of the robot nurse, and the robotic home care worker. It's extremely off putting. These are jobs in every other country humans are doing. And there's a thousand reasons why humans should always do jobs like that. Same goes for any other job that humans normally do. If they don't have people to replace the existing work force they should consider why there aren't any people and perhaps try to remedy that. I mean it's not like making more humans is any sort of chore.

Re:Those Japanese birth rates

[gullevek]

thats not true, there is just a small group ho is "ethnocentric". I live here for more than fives years and have not yet had direct contact with any of those "ethnocentric" groups. all Japs I met were absolutely friendly and open to foreigners.

Do you also believe all Germans are Nazis, all Muslims are Terrorists and all Americans are just fat and dumb?

Shows the deep-seated hatred of foreigners....

[freedom_india]

The extremes to which Japan goes to avoid importing foreigners speaks of its paranoia and deep hatred of non-japanese.
No other society would spend so much money and effort to build Robots to replace an ageing population.
Not even Germany is such introverted or had so much hatred in-built.

I remember reading somewhere:
1. France is the country with most restrictive laws on migration, yet is most lenient when it comes to accomodating foreigners.
2. Japan has the most open laws in books to allow migration, yet its officialdom is the most restrictive in implementing it.

Probably because unlike Reich, the Imperial Japanese military never was defeated wholly in their heartland. Instead they surrendered voluntarily thus allowing them to keep their introverted practices.

Japan still has shops, stores, etc., that do not service foreigners (especially the adult shops as my friend can testify).
And they STILL do not speak English beyond Tokyo.

I welcome the slow decline and ultimate disappearance of japanese society as a whole.

Re:Shows the deep-seated hatred of foreigners....

[psychodelicacy]

I see all the anti-Japanese comments on this post, and it makes me wonder whether the Japanese are wrong to be wary of foreigners...

I find it sad that you take not speaking English as some kind of black mark. You'll find that most Americans and British people speak nothing other than their own language. Why should the Japanese, if they would rather not? Other countries are not there simply to service the needs of English-speaking tourists, and if you'd ever seen what a group of Englishmen in a sex shop looks like, you might sympathise with the Japanese for wanting to keep them out!

Re:Shows the deep-seated hatred of foreigners....

[kamapuaa]

Everything the guy was saying was, in fact, pretty much on-point. And frankly it is a little strange for a country where the economy is so thoroughly dependent on exports to be so throughly bad at English. It's not English-language chauvinism, it's just the way the modern world economy works.

Japan will also claim hotels are full when they're obviously not, policemen give passport checks to foreigners just walking down the street - I live in China and would never claim it's an immigrant paradise, but people's attitudes and the government's implemented policies are far, far more accommodating than Japan's.

Quite frankly something is wrong with a society that would rather build fanciful robots than allow other ethnicities to naturalize. A little criticism of Japan is just going to come in naturally to the discussion.

Re:Shows the deep-seated hatred of foreigners....

[freedom_india]

racism is still alive and well in the US, especially if you have an accent WRONG ! WRONG !
I have been to large cities (Boston, Hartford, NYC, SF) in US, worked there, and also stayed in small towns (Keene[NH], New Britain[CT], MA, TX) etc.
Not ONCE did i find even a trace of racism being shown by anybody (from my co-workers to the cops who stopped me because one of my headlights was not working).
The only time i was shouted upon was at the DMV in New Britain, CT when my hearing was bad due to a cold when they called out my last name for license. (i use first name and last name never entered my mind).
Not just officialdom: I have chatted with my taxi driver (a college student) everyday (Keene, NH), discussed movies (The Village was a bad movie) with Stop&Shop clerks (cashing a TC), long discussion with cops (lost my way and stopped a cop-:)) on best ways to avoid a ticket, Museum curators on whether Edison would be crucified if born today, etc.
I have also attended bachelor parties, SOX games, etc., with my hosts one time.

In fact, i prefer US more than i prefer Australia (which is to say a lot).

The model in US is simple: You are considered good and trusted unless you prove otherwise. If you do not betray the trust or work hard enough, Americans trust you more than others.
Of course if you screw up, you don't get a second chance. Which is acceptable.

In Japan, even if you are twice as good as they are (Am good in software design: Twice as good as any japanese.) they neither treat you as a human nor treat you like one of the boys.

Re:Shows the deep-seated hatred of foreigners....

[freedom_india]

policemen give passport checks to foreigners just walking down the street Exactly what happened to my friend's son at School.
US cops may use Tasers, but they treat all people the same.
Japanese have a siege mentality. They think if they let the guard down even once, the world's population would swamp them.
The world "alien" in japanese also is a bad word.

I live in China and would never claim it's an immigrant paradise, but people's attitudes and the government's implemented policies are far, far more accommodating than Japan's True. I visited china last year when my bank sent me for training.
I found them far more accomodating. I appreciated their culture, visited their museums, and generally found them polite and nice, although their English accent is difficult to understand.
And their cops don't randomly stop you.

Japan has it right; The rest of the west is

[WindBourne]

screwing itself. Look, America, and shortly European, jobs have migrated to China. Why? Because they have the yuan tied to the dollar. If we had a president with backbone, they would do something about it. It remains to be seen what will happen with the next one.

But in the mean time, the west would do well to create loads of automated jobs. It would also help solve such issues as illegal aliens in America. But the only way to go back to creating wealth here is to have honest cheap energy and automation on construction, agriculture and manufactuering. And that is VERY needed by EU as well as Canada.

Re:Japan has it right; The rest of the west is

[F�an�ro]

Look, America, and shortly European, jobs have migrated to China. Why? Because they have the yuan tied to the dollar. If we had a president with backbone, they would do something about it.

Dude, it is their currency, they can tie it to whatever arbitrary value they want. What is a president to do, tie the dollar to half the value of the yuan in revenge? Or double the value? Or simply invade?

Re:Japan has it right; The rest of the west is

[WindBourne]

It is real simple. If china wants to peg it to ours so that it undercuts true free trade, then we should simply quite trading. It will hurt for a bit of time, but I believe that we will find other nations that are better suited to this. In particular, Mexico has true free trade, and even India is mostly there (they play games to get jobs located there, but the money is freely traded).

Actually, W. does not share my attitude. He would have done something about it. Fortunately, Obama and McCain both share it, and I think that one of them are going to be next. I am not certain what HRC thinks about this.

BTW, the yuan is 7 to a dollar. If traded freely, it would be about 2/1 (and dropping). That means that we would be able to export to them a great deal more. It would also help a large number of latin countries since most are using the dollar or pegged to the dollar.

Let's hope for them they are not US robots

[kanweg]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/18/dalek_fcs_uav_ducted_fan_war_robot/

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9757072-7.html

But perhaps that's better than being poisoned by chinese robots.

Bert

Bad Idea

[Jubetas]

banking on robots to replenish the workforce and care for the elderly. I think we all know that the robots will simply attack the people they're supposed to be caring for to steal their precious medicine and fuel their enraged power cells.

Meet George Jetson

[bussdriver]

A cartoon for kids; the Flitnstones of the future helped promote robots and bring up issues to vast numbers of children in the west.

Jetson's job: To press a button and turn on the computer everyday.

Sometimes Jetson helps the computer make a decision, but one never gets the impression the computer actually needs his help; its like it is humoring him.

Jobs in that future world have been reduced to repair, office politics (including corporate espionage,) meaningless filler positions (like those created for a relative.) People consume but don't really produce anything.

Q: Don't the robots do work that americans will not do? You know, like the illegals do now? So then... do we have illegal automation problems coming our way?
(I realize that part of the immigrant debate is a false dilemma.)

politeness, restraint, and deference to authority

[m0llusk]

In America or Europe if a worker no longer serves the bottom line they are likely to be quickly discarded. Though they might seek other positions in the company, even training is likely to be their responsibility to have in order in advance. From hiring to firing the relationship will lack compassion and no one bows. Similar rules extend to family where a historically extreme level of independence is becoming the norm. People must find a way for themselves to get by.

In Japan employees or relations might find their roles changing to respond to circumstance, but leaving the group is typically a last resort. There from meeting to parting everyone bows to each other. People must find a place for themselves in a group.

In typical American or European conditions robots embody the cold displacement that all must fear. Robots become implacable competitors in almost any setting. Japanese social networks welcome the robots in part because they do not suffer the same endemic fear of rejection and displacement. Robots are suited to tasks that are difficult or not valued enough for people, so they are easily seen as cooperative.

Re:You need to take a short, unpleasant trip ...

[glwtta]

Japanese robotics roboticist

Impressive, that's actually one of the most popular kinds of roboticists.

Don't forget their military!

[BobSixtyFour]

They probably have an underground cave full of robotic GUNDAM Mobile Suits.

Re:Lessons from the answering machine

[hitmark]

meh, just get a mobile phone that shows unanswered numbers (or whatever name its attached to in contacts).

i still just hang up if i hit a answering machine, as more often then not the only message for it to deliver is "call me"...

Re:Lessons from the answering machine

[Stiletto]

I think the acceptance of answering machines has more to do with society's growing narcissistic belief that you must be "reachable" at all times.

I, for one, do not have an answering machine or use voice mail, and I generally won't leave a message for someone if the call doesn't go thorough.

Oh yes.

[lewp]

"People are still asking whether people really want robots running around their homes, and folding their clothes," said Damian Thong, senior technology analyst at Macquarie Bank in Tokyo.

I think I speak for most of the audience of this website when I say "ever since I was six."