Japan is facing stiff competition from South Korea in the realm of robotics and also mainstream market for robots is being influenced by South Korean companies. To counter this, four Japanese companies joined together to exchange technology with each other and promote their products abroad in a joint fashion. The four companies- Tmsuk, ZMP, Vstone, Business Design Laboratory Co (BDL) have vowed to promote Japanese robotic technology in Japan and abroad as well. Japan is a country, which relies on robots for almost every aspect of life and this, is only expected to grow in the coming years. A particularly interesting robot, which might hit the markets soon is BDL’s ‘ifbot’, a white robot with green eyes smiles brightly and prevents dementia among the elderly by quizzing them, singing songs or giving health advice.

Japan has a growing market for humanoid robots, which aid in the fields of education, entertainment, health and domestic help. However, Japanese robot specialists are skeptical about the Japanese government’s approach to the research and development of the technology and feel that South Korea actively encourages robotic research in contrast to the Japanese government.

Via: Physorg259631