The Japan concentrates 40% of the nearly 923 000 industrial robots on the planet. It is not surprising therefore that the country is regarded as the kingdom machines. The trend is now for service robots designed to assist a Japanese population ageing.
Heroes manga (comic books) or animated films, industrial or humanoid robots serve as technology showcases the major national groups: the Japanese robots to display a genuine enthusiasm. Currently, all eyes are turning to robotics service in a variety of fields: submarines, medicine, cleaning, security, fisheries, forests, health care, recreation and pets. A segment which, if it remains marginal, is nonetheless promised a bright future. The 2007 International Robot Exhibition to be held in November in Tokyo, had planned to devote more than a third of its programme. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR), based in Paris, distinguishes between two types of non-industrial robots: those for professional use and those for private use. It is estimated that 31 600 units of the first category were commissioned in 2005, of which 18% robot submarines, 17% of cleaning robots and 16% of robots defence / security. Although increasing numbers of robots for private use are also much cheaper. Of the 2.9 million machines of this type listed by the IFR, more than half (1.8 million) were vacuum robots such as “Roomba” by the U.S. firm robot, 1 million robots games and Leisure and about 79 000 robot lawnmowers. According to Marc-Antoine Haudenschild, a specialist in Japan serving Global Equity Research at Credit Suisse, “service robots are only in their infancy. Continue reading →