Tinkerings

SP: I see also your researchers are tinkering with existing products to upgrade them for assistive purposes while arranging parts via three-dimensional printers for use upon adapting conventional items.

HY: Yes, thanks to 3D printers, we can quickly make and test what we want to make, which speeds up the development of our robots. Recently, we have also been working on building our own new 3D printer to make lighter and more rigid parts.

Moonshot

SP: Thank you for your great answers! Finally, any other message for those TUNEd in here?

HY: I am now Project Manager for "Adaptable Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled Robots to Create a Vibrant Society" theme under the Moonshot* Goal 3 of Realization of AI robots that autonomously learn, adapt to their environment, evolve in intelligence and act alongside human beings, by 2050. This project aims at creating a collective of adaptable AI-enabled robots available at a variety of places, with each robot being always usable by anyone while adjusting its form and functions according to the individual user, to provide optimal assistance and services. By 2050 we hope to see a wide variety of robots and people in co-existence/co-evolution to create a vibrant society in which all people participate.

* The Moonshot Research and Development (R&D) Program run by the Japanese Cabinet Office sets high-impact R&D Goals for realizing solutions to issues facing future society, such as super-aging populations and global warming.