Humanoid workers wow crowds at iRex (photos)
Humanoid factory workers and heavy-duty industrial robots mix it up at the 2011 iRex robot trade show in Tokyo.
Nextage industrial robot
TOKYO--The Japan Robot Association kicked off the 19th International Robot Exhibition (iRex) in Tokyo yesterday with 292 companies and groups taking part. Despite the body blows to Japan's economy from the March 11 earthquake and tsunamis, robots were out in force at the show.
Known for its HRP series of humanoid robots, Kawada Industries was demoing its Nextage industrial robot with strong anthropomorphic lines. Sales of the 20 kg assembly-line droid, which has six-jointed arms as well as cameras in its eyes and hands, began recently. It's expected to use the same tools as humans while working in production cells.
Here's Hiro
Based on Kawada's Nextage, Hiro is a research platform that can use multiple end effectors. It has microphones and speakers for communication, and runs on QNX like Nextage.
"Why humanoids?" the company asks in promotional material. "Because Kawada is striving to prove that they can both safely and effectively co-exist with humans in actual work environments."
Vacuuming robot
Fanuc display
Major industrial robot maker Fanuc had a massive display at iRex 2011 with legions of its trademark yellow machines including the M-2000iA series heavy-duty payload lifter. Billed as the world's strongest robot, this monster can hoist up to 1,350 kg (nearly 3,000 pounds) and can be used to move car bodies around in assembly plants.