JAPAN: Japan's Tokyo University unveils its latest house-keeping robots

Record ID: 401724

  • Title: JAPAN: Japan's Tokyo University unveils its latest house-keeping robots
  • Date: 18th December 2008
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (DECEMBER 17, 2008) (REUTERS) HALLWAY OF TOKYO UNIVERSITY ROBOTIC RESEARCH LAB SIGN OF IRT ("INFORMATION AND ROBOT TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INITIATIVE") ROBOT PICKING UP DISHES FROM TABLE ROBOT LEAVING DISHES ON KITCHEN COUNTER WIDE VIEW OF MONITORS AND DISH-WASHING ROBOT ARM INSTALLED IN KITCHEN ROBOT ARM RINSING BOWL MONITOR SHOWING DATA GATHERED BY ROBOT A
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Science / Technology
  • Reuters ID: LVA4IKFRVXAFF4AQ1152B4ZSLXOQ
  • Story Text: Don't even have the energy to put the dishes in the dishwashing machine? Then let the latest Japanese robot arm help you with that.
    The University of Tokyo has developed a series of robots capable of performing house-keeping jobs, including doing the dishes.
    After one robot picks up dishes from a table and carries them to a kitchen counter, another robot arm, named KAR, or Kitchen Assistant Robot, takes over and moves the dishes over into a dish-washer.
    With 18 sensors of five different types attached to its hand, the robot arm detects dishes placed nearby, carries them without crushing or dropping them and hits the dish washer's start button.
    Created in association with Japanese electronics giant Panasonic, KAR is still a prototype.
    But University of Tokyo engineers say the robot would be available for sale in as early as five years.
    The engineers are now trying to make the robot smaller and lighter and move fast enough to be able to put away dishes in five minutes after a family of four has finished dinner.

    "This machine is intended to provide some nice extra time for families to chat and relax together after dinner by removing the hassle of doing the dishes," said Dr. Ikuo Mizuuchi of the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo.
    Another house-keeping robot, called AR, short for Assistant Robot, can pick up clothes on the floor, put them in a washing machine and operate it on its own.
    The same robot can also sweep the floor.
    Japanese car maker Toyota is providing support for the development of AR.
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