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Toyota Robots

http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/special/robot/index.html

http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/04/1203_1d.html

 

 
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Toyota walking robot
Toyota has introduced a suite of robots - one destined for healthcare, one for factories, one for a human exoskeleton, and one for entertainment. Overally, their robots show significant advances over the Honda robots, in particular dexterous hands and the ability to blow air through musical instruments. Stay tuned!

Toyota Robot Pictures
Major technology includes stable dynamic walking and lips able to blow air through a trumpet.

Toyota Robot playing trumpet

Toyota wheeled robot

The walking robot is designed for healthcare. Among other features, it can blow air through a trumpet and finger the valves to actually play a musical instrument. Its legs are less "bent knee" than the Honda Asimo and its walk seems more natural. Toyota promises an entire robot orchestra by 2005. The wheeled version of the robot can also play a trumpet, and is balanced on a two-wheeled, Segway-type base. Its destination is factories.
Toyota says that the ultimate goal of developing these robots is to use tools, as well as providing entertainment.

These robots, which are being developed to use tools, will play an entertaining role in the performance. Able to move their artificial lips with the same finesse as humans, the robots demonstrate the agility of their arms, hands and fingers as they play trumpets, tubas and drums.

This robot, currently under development as a robot that communicates with people, will appear on stage as a DJ, carrying on a dialogue with the emcee.

Toyota robotic wheelchair

Toyota wire-operated robot
Toyota's third robot is actually a wheelchair with legs, in other words, and exoskeleton. An elderly or disabled person sits in the chair and lets a pair of robotic legs do the walking. Imagine this stomping onto a bus! Toyota's final robot appears aimed at entertainment. Instead of high-torque electric motors at each joint, it uses a novel system of wires to move its arms and legs. The result is limbs that can move faster and provide a more nimble, naturalistic movement.
HOnda CEO with his replacements"There is only one condition in which we can imagine managers not needing subordinates, and masters not needing slaves. This would be if every machine could work by itself, at the word of command or by intelligent anticipation."
- Aristotle, from his justification of slavery in Politics