Southwest Japan's Challenges: Signs of Growth / ‘Endless Possibilities' as AI Robots in Kyushu Set Their Sights on the World in Rapidly Advancing Field
This is the third installment in a series of articles taking an in-depth look at industries with growth potential in Kyushu as well as Yamaguchi and Okinawa prefectures.
***
KITAKYUSHU — 'Please bring me an apple.'
'OK, customer,' came the reply – not from a person, but from a robot. This robot could recognize the voice and movements of the man posing as a customer, detect an apple and then bring it back. This exchange was part of an experiment involving an AI-equipped robot conducted at the Kyushu Institute of Technology's Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering in Wakamatsu Ward, Kitakyushu, on May 22.
Hibikino-Musashi@Home (HMA), a research project team comprised of students at the institute and elsewhere, has been developing 'service robots' that can help people at home and in the office. In 2024, HMA won the RoboCup, an annual global competition for robots, for the third time. HMA has been developing new technologies as the team seeks to defend its title at the 2025 event, which is scheduled to be held in Brazil.
At the RoboCup, each robot does actions such as taking an order from a customer and clearing away an item. The robots are judged on the accuracy of their movements. However, details of the type of competition are not revealed until just before the event starts, and the robots are also given instructions chosen at random.
The development of these robots has reached a major turning point as artificial intelligence continues to make rapid advances. Kyushu Institute of Technology Prof. Hakaru Tamuko, 46, who is a supervisor for HMA, said, 'Things that we thought couldn't be done just a few years ago have suddenly become possible.'
Akinobu Mizutani, a 27-year-old doctoral student at the institute, has high aspirations. 'In the future, I want to create robots that have 'memories' and can help people live enjoyable lives,' Mizutani said.
Trump card
Robots have previously been developed mainly for industrial use. Their ability to quickly, accurately and repeatedly perform actions such as bending metal and tightening screws has contributed to the mass production of industrial products. However, these robots can perform only operations they have been programmed in advance to do.
Integrating AI with robots will dramatically expand the range of activities these machines can perform. At a time when Japan's labor shortage is becoming increasingly severe due to the chronically low birth rate and graying population, there are high expectations that such robots could be a trump card that supports both industries and people's daily lives. The Mitsubishi Research Institute Inc. estimates that the 'AI robotics' market, which currently stands at about ¥10 trillion, could grow to reach ¥60 trillion by 2040.
In November 2023, Kitakyushu-based Yaskawa Electric Corp. announced the launch of its Motoman Next series of industrial robots that are powered by AI. Yaskawa, a front-runner in its industry, excels in robotic arms and jointly developed the series with Nvidia Corp., a major U.S. designer of AI semiconductors. These robots can handle tasks such as sorting washed items at a restaurant and carrying agricultural products, and Yaskawa is preparing to put them into practice.
'These products could change conventional thinking about industrial robots,' said Yumie Kubota, who is the manager of Yaskawa's AI Robotics Department and was involved in the development project. 'The possibilities are endless.'
Promising new venturesKyushu has the potential to become a region at the cutting edge of the robotics industry. Major robotics companies are located in multiple places, and the island is home to many small and midsized firms possessing superb technologies used in automobiles and other fields.
Startups also have popped up here and there. TriOrb Inc., a company founded in Kitakyushu in 2023, originated from the Kyushu Institute of Technology and is involved in developing delivery robots that can move freely in all directions. Several of TriOrb's units can work together to carry a large object.
KiQ Robotics Inc., also based in Kitakyushu, specializes in parts for robot 'fingers,' which can replicate delicate gripping like a human hand. Made on a 3D printer from processed resin, these soft robotic fingers are being used by companies including major automakers.
'Big advances are being made not only in software for robots, but on the hardware side, too,' said Takashi Takimoto, 44, chief executive officer of KiQ Robotics.
Some companies are chalking up success domestically and overseas. A company called tmsuk Co., which originated in Kitakyushu but has its head office in Kyoto and a research base in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, is one of Japan's leading developers of service robots. The company has produced more than 50 robots capable of tasks such as checking water pipes and installing ceiling panels. The company's robots have been used in the construction of buildings in Fukuoka City. Yoichi Takamoto, the chairman of tmsuk, is confident that major achievements lie ahead. 'Robots will solve social issues and change the world,' Takamoto said.
International competition
The competition to develop robots is becoming increasingly fierce. In November 2024, a new company established by former employees of U.S. technology giant Google LLC and others released footage showing a robot that could perform complex and delicate movements such as folding laundry and putting eggs in a carton. The robot features a 'deep learning' model in which it uses AI to learn by itself.
In April, the participation of humanoid robots in a marathon in Beijing generated a lot of headlines. 'If things continue as they are, the world will leave Japan behind,' tmsuk's Takamoto warned, expressing a sense of urgency shared by other people in the domestic robotics industry.
In a bid to accelerate the development of robots integrated with AI, a group including Waseda University, the University of Tokyo and Toyota Motor Corp. launched the AI Robot Association in December. The Kyushu Institute of Technology is assisting in ways such as collecting data related to the development of AI for use in robots. In addition, tmsuk also plans to start development of a humanoid robot.
'We're getting closer to an era in which there will be a robot in every home,' said Tamuko, the Kyushu Institute of Technology professor. 'Robots in the future will require AI and semiconductors that can control AI, and all the superb technologies for building those units also will be needed. All those elements are in Kyushu, so the region could become a world-leader in this field. Industry and academic circles must make every effort [to achieve this goal].'
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