Japan Eyes Robots to Support Older Population
From: Reuters - 09/12/2007

Robots are rarely found outside of industrial sites in Japan, but the
nation's researchers hope to change that as the population ages.
Approximately 40 percent of the population will be over 65 by 2055, and
robotics researchers want to provide assistance to the elderly by developing
robots that are capable of operating in homes. The labor force will also take
a hit due to its older population, and the researchers are eyeing smart
robots for offices and other venues as well. Researchers at the University of
Tokyo have teamed up with experts at Toyota, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, and several
other top Japanese firms to lay the foundation for the development of
next-generation robots in the next 15 years. They plan to unveil prototypes
capable of performing mundane tasks in 18 months. The new robots do not have
to look human, says Isao Shimoyama, dean of Tokyo's Graduate School of
Information Science and Technology. Currently, about 10 buildings use a
vacuuming machine (a droid with wheels) to clean their floors, and about a
handful of shopping malls and corporate sites use Enon, a guide and patrol
robot that has a humanoid upper body but no legs. Two-legged humanoid robots
are unlikely to find their way into homes for some time. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.news.com/Japan+eyes+robots+to+support+older+population/2100-11394_3-6207513.html

Links:
In Japan, robots are people, too
http://www.news.com/In+Japan%2C+robots+are+people%2C+too/2008-11386_3-6122761.html

Isao Shimoyama
http://www.mms07.org/isao.html

The friendly faces of Japanese robots
http://www.news.com/2300-11394_3-6123060-1.html

Fujitsu Begins Limited Sales of Service Robot "enon"
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/news/pr/archives/month/2005/20050913-01.html