ILEA000028138: (2)Group unveils artificial muscle that works like fingers

Robot that can grip

Bridgestone Corp. shows to the media in Tokyo on Feb. 1, 2023, a newly developed Soft Robot Hand that can grip and move objects even if they are soft. Ken Kutaragi, seen on the right, is CEO of Ascent Robotics Inc., the company that cooperated in the development of the robot.

NEC's vector-based simulated annealing machine

NEC is making a full-scale entry into the quantum computing domain. From April to June 2020, the company will launch a co-creation service to solve combinatorial optimization problems, including the use of annealing machines that employ the SX Aurora Tsubasa vector supercomputer. Prior to this, the company will establish a new 20-person Quantum Computing Promotion Office in January 2008 to promote the development of applications and technologies through joint demonstrations with customers. The company plans to invest about 1 billion yen in Canada's D-Wave Systems for collaboration. On the other hand, the quantum annealing system will be based on a domestically developed machine jointly developed with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and D-wave, which will be a collaborative partner. The joint development with AIST is currently verifying the operation of a basic quantum cell. Photo taken on December 20, 2019, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

AGV with a new structure that holds and transports scuzzy objects

Skuse Corporation (Minami Ward, Kyoto City) has developed a new automatic guided vehicle (AGV) with a new structure that lifts up wheeled vehicles from below and will put it on the market in fiscal 2021. It is expected to simplify the setup process for AGV operation and reduce the workload of the person in charge. The towing type has a structure that is connected like a truck, so there is a problem of not having enough space to go around curves in the transport route. The new AGV structure is expected to solve this problem. In addition to the AGV with the new structure, SCUZ will also propose a set of its own twin-arm robots. The company expects to reduce the workload of teaching and other tasks by producing both robots in-house and making it possible to control them with a single robot controller. (= December 18, 2019, photo credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

A robotic hand developed by OMRON and the University of Tokyo that repeatedly performs precise insertion

Professor Masatoshi Ishikawa of the University of Tokyo and Omron have developed a robot hand that can perform precision work by groping at a speed of 1,000 times per second. When the ring hits the end of the cylinder and the angle shifts, the robot adjusts its three fingers to restore the shift. This is a high-speed reproduction of the way a human being searches for the right angle to fit a ring using the senses of his or her fingertips. In the past, even with the use of force sensors, it took time to process, and insertion and removal took 1-2 seconds. In the automation of precision assembly, it is difficult to keep the positional accuracy within 10 micrometers, including robots and jigs. If this can be handled by hand or control, the range of precision work will expand. Photo taken on November 27, 2019, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

Hokuriku Electric Power's "Assist Arm" robot for power distribution work

Hokuriku Electric Power Company has completed the development of the "Assist Arm" (photo), a robot for power distribution work, and has begun deploying it. The robot will assist in the construction work, which used to be done by two people in a high-altitude work truck, enabling the work to be done by one person. This is the first time such a robot has been used in Japan. The company plans to adopt 10 more robots, including those of group companies, by the end of fiscal year 2019. The robots will be used for the most frequent part of the power distribution work, the wire separator work. In the past, high-voltage wires were cut and the cut wires were connected to each other with a temporary equipment called a wire separator by lifting a stick-shaped tool weighing about 10 kilograms. The robot will be able to cut wires and grab objects with an arm that can move in six axes with a single control grip, saving labor. Photo taken on November 20, 2019, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

Mitsubishi Chemical HD to make Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation a wholly owned subsidiary

Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings (HD) announced on the 18th that it will invest up to 491.8 billion yen to make its consolidated subsidiary Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation a wholly owned subsidiary. Currently, MCHC holds 56.39% of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma's shares, and will conduct a tender offer from January 19 to January 7, 2020, aiming to make Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma its wholly owned subsidiary. At a press conference in Tokyo on January 18, MCHC President Hitoshi Ochi said, "The world is evolving greatly and healthcare is developing at a very fast pace. Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will also accelerate the overseas development of promising new drug candidates by using MCHC's human resources. The company will utilize the diverse resources of a comprehensive chemical manufacturer to efficiently create new businesses and enhance the earnings structure of a core healthcare company. (November 18, 2019, Tokyo, Japan; Credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

Air Water's 8K surgical video imaging system "Micro 8

Air Water will launch the 8K surgical video microscope system "Micro 8 = Photo" on September 2nd. The system visualizes objects one-tenth the size of a hair, and can be used in surgeries such as stitching together micro blood vessels and lymph vessels. Lenses with different focal lengths can be exchanged according to the surgical technique, enabling fine surgical operations. The selling price starts at 65 million yen. The company expects to sell 100 units (including rentals) in the next three years. This product is combined with a 70-inch 8K large monitor to ensure 300x magnification and a wide field of view. Dr. Eiji Kobayashi of Keio University School of Medicine, who was involved in the development of the device, said, "It will enable us to sew nerves and blood vessels that could not be sewn before. It is a product that will jump into the field of surgery that has been impossible until now. (Photo taken on August 22, 2019, location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

Demonstration experiment using Osaka City University's fuel-cell vehicles to operate ships on hydrogen

Shigeyuki Minami, a special-appointment professor at the Organization for Advanced Research and Development, Osaka City University, and his colleagues on April 1 unveiled a demonstration experiment of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered ship (photo) that can drive a fuel cell vehicle as a hydrogen power generation system. It was jointly developed with Current Dynamics (Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka City). It will be equipped with Toyota Motor Corporation's "MIRAI" fuel cell vehicle and can carry up to 50 cubic meters of hydrogen. It has already obtained an operation license from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It can travel for about 13 hours at a speed of 8 kilometers per hour, and about 93 hours at a speed of 4 kilometers per hour. Professor Minami said, "We would like to confirm that it is safe and can run for a long time, and use this as a trigger for the development of fuel cell ships. (= August 1, 2019, photo location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

Republic Leather's plating replacement film

Kyowa Leather has developed a plating-free high-intensity film that can be used to decorate aluminum wheels and other automotive exterior parts without plating. The company is working with exterior parts manufacturers to improve the film, aiming to commercialize it in December 2020. The film has a four-layer structure, consisting of a transparent surface layer made of fluoroplastic, a metal layer made of the same metal material with excellent weatherability and acid resistance vapor-deposited in a "sea-island structure," a base layer made of vinyl chloride or acrylic resin, and an adhesive layer. Currently, Ryuta Kawashima, director of the company, says that "it is difficult to build new factories for plating due to environmental concerns such as soil contamination. In the future, the company aims to add value to automobile exterior parts by considering the development of integrated molding technology for wheels and films. Photo taken on June 24, 2019,credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

Applied's HPC solution booth

Applied has set up a permanent booth in its store with the latest information and communication equipment, including artificial intelligence (AI) systems and flying robots (drones), to meet the needs of IoT (Internet of Things) product development. In Fukuoka, where entrepreneurship is thriving, the goal is to create a point of contact where venture businesses and university developers can easily come into contact with the equipment. The booth, named "HPC (High Performance Computing) Solutions," was first set up at the Applied Hakata branch (Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City) (photo). The company will exhibit its own high-performance PCs and AI-based software specialized for deep learning, high-definition 4K and 8K image editing, CAD, and other applications. The company is also considering opening multiple stores. The store will also hold seminars where representatives from manufacturers and trading companies will introduce their products. Credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

(2)Group unveils artificial muscle that works like fingers

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