Robots that help the disabled, and also those that
play violin
AP
Tokyo: Compared to a virtuoso, its rendition was a
trifle stilted and, well, robotic. But Toyotas new
robot plays a pretty solid Pomp and Circumstance
on the violin.
The five-foot-tall, all-white robot, shown Thursday,
used its mechanical fingers to push the strings
correctly and bowed with its other arm, coordinating
the movements well.
The company has already shown robots that roll around
to work as guides and have fingers dexterous enough to
play the trumpet.
Katsuaki Watanabe, the President of Toyota, said
robotics will be a core business for the company in
coming years. They will test robots at hospitals,
facilities and other places starting next year, he
said. And the company hopes to put what it calls
partner robots to real use by 2010, he said.
We want to create robots that are useful for people
in everyday life, he said.
Watanabe also presented a picture of the future of
robotic health care. Wheelchair-like robots, called
mobility robots, which were also displayed Thursday,
would offer bed-to-bed services to people, including
the elderly and the sick, just like cars take people
door-to-door.
At the demonstration, a man got on a mobility robot, a
motorised two-wheeled chair, and then scooted around.
The moving machine can also go up and down
slopes, and over bumps, without upsetting the person
sitting on the chair, because the wheels could adjust
to such changes.
Toyota said it is working with universities to speed
up robotics development.
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