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Elite Japan lab throws cash at better bots
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Japan’s elite AIST research labs have just launched a huge initiative to develop next-gen robots for the factory, home, hospital and (perhaps behind the scenes) battlefield.

The User Centered Robot Open Architecture program, attractively named UCROA, is meant to speed up the development of three types of bots: distribution-support robots that can be used in factories and warehouses; physical service bots that can help muscular dystrophy patients, senior citizens, etc.; and service robots that are truly interactive, as opposed to the dull-witted toys that pass for service bots in 2006.

The key element of the three year program will be developing middleware that can be used by all three machines. Let’s hope AIST gets things right so as avoid scenes of confused bots loading handicapped patents into cardboard boxes while trying to ask them what they want for breakfast.

(Via AIST [Japanese]; MT here)

10:09 PM Paul Kallender • Permalink
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