Japan’s Robotics Market for Medical Purposes Booming amid Pandemic
Japan’s robotics market is booming thanks to the need to avoid in-person contact amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan’s robotics market is booming thanks to the need to avoid in-person contact amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hoping to reduce human contact, operator of Mos Burger shops, Mos Food Services Inc. introduced a robot that can take orders. The company unveiled to the press on Tuesday what customer service can look like with an OriHime robot that can be remotely controlled by people with disabilities who have difficulty leaving their homes. Mos Food Services expects the robot will not only help reduce human contact amid the coronavirus, but also help solve labor shortages.
“Hirotada Ototake, a Japanese writer born without arms and legs who is best known for his 1998 memoir “No One’s Perfect,” has embarked on a project to develop electrically operated “robot” legs that will enable him and others like him to walk.”
“”We want people who cannot take planes for reasons such as illness, physical disability as well as economic and political circumstances, to overcome challenges and travel…enabling such people to connect with others around the world means the same as having them take our flights.”
“The robots, created with Japanese technology, are expected to assist spectators in such ways as guiding people to their seats at stadiums, bringing food and drinks to those in wheelchairs, providing event information and helping carry things.”