Spread the love

Organizers on Friday showed off robots that will be used at the new National Stadium to provide assistance for fans using wheelchairs.

Tokyo Olympic official Masaaki Komiya pointed out that Japan is known for its robot technology, and the 2020 Summer Games are a good place to show off.

“Robots should not overwhelm people,” Komiya, the vice director general to the Tokyo Olympics, told a news conference. “Robots are something that has an amicable relationship with human beings and can work together. That’s the kind of robots we envision.”

The robots are made by major Olympic sponsor Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota officials said 16 of the so-called “human support robots” will be used at the National Stadium with five other “delivery support robots” also being available.

Not to be outdone, Panasonic Corp. — also a major Olympic sponsor — showed off its “power assist suit.” When worn, the suit offers support to the back and hip area and allows for heavy objects to be lifted with less effort. Panasonic said 20 of the suits will be used at the Olympics and could help guests with their luggage and with other lifting chores.

“Through this occasion, people in the world will be able to realize how advanced Japan is in terms of robot technology,” Hideyo Hirata, director of technology services for the Tokyo Olympics, told reporters.

Minoru Yamauchi of Toyota, the general manager for 2020 Robot Development, said the automaker is branching out and becoming a “mobility company.”

“We have been looking at how we can support the daily lives of people, and how we can develop robots that can partner with daily life,” Yamauchi said. “In the Tokyo Olympics, there will be many guests in wheelchairs and we would like them enjoy the games without worrying about their mobility.”

Yoshifumi Uchida, general manager of Panasonics Paralympic department, said its power assist suit technology was developed partly because of Japans aging population. This could help get more women and the elderly into the working population.

“We would like to have a society where people can work without caring about gender differences or age differences,” Uchida said. “When you are carrying a suitcase or a heavy box, this is where the power assist suit becomes valuable.”

He said the suits would also be used away from the venues in “related facilities and airports.”

He said the suit improved “efficiency” by about 20 percent, allowing the wearer to lift more, and for a longer time.

Battery life is about four hours, and the suit gives the wearer the ability to lift about 10 kilograms (22 pounds) more with the same energy expended.

41 COMMENTS

  1. I truly wanted to make a brief remark to be able to say thanks to you for all the marvelous tips and hints you are giving out on this site. My particularly long internet investigation has now been paid with useful suggestions to write about with my colleagues. I ‘d assume that many of us website visitors actually are rather lucky to exist in a superb website with many wonderful individuals with good principles. I feel extremely lucky to have seen your entire site and look forward to tons of more cool minutes reading here. Thanks a lot once more for all the details. viagra without doctors prescription

  2. Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your article seem to be running off the screen in Safari. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the issue solved soon. Kudos viagra generic

  3. I simply want to mention I’m very new to blogs and actually savored this page. Almost certainly I’m want to bookmark your site . You amazingly come with beneficial posts. Appreciate it for sharing with us your blog site.

  4. Thanks a lot for sharing this with all of us you really know what you’re talking about! Bookmarked. Kindly also visit my web site =). We could have a link exchange agreement between us!

  5. Thanks for your write-up on the vacation industry. I might also like to add that if you are a senior contemplating traveling, it really is absolutely imperative that you buy travel insurance for senior citizens. When traveling, older persons are at biggest risk of getting a medical emergency. Getting the right insurance coverage package to your age group can safeguard your health and provide you with peace of mind.

  6. Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again very soon!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here