Proposed the Environmental Robot Servicing 24 hours a day”

Professor Tomomasa Sato
(Department of Mechano-Informatics)

Robots are the driving force of “social and life support systems”. They realize health (medical care, welfare, nursing care), security, safety, comfort, convenience, and ecological lifestyle in care-giving and assistance. Robots are integrated systems including mechanisms, controls, intelligence, and contents.  Professor Sato who is a robot researcher foresees that they will play a key role in creating new industries and in our future social life.  Robots can play three roles – “help human,” “know human,” and “encourage human”; Robots will lead the 21st century instead of automobiles and computers that led industry and society in the 20th century.  He aspires to a system in which the whole room itself is robotized.
Professor Sato is a coordinator and leader of the next generation robots project of the Council for Science and Technology Policy, which is a Japanese science and technology policymaking body, and held the president position in The Robotics Society of Japan. He greatly influenced planning and directions of robot research in Japan as one of the leaders in robot research.

He focuses on contents among many other research fields.  Unlike home electric appliances, robots cannot master all service contents by the time they leave a factory.  Professor Sato views that the key for increased adaptation of robots to individual person is how much rich and customized contents can be provided with flexibility for each household to tune up.
A century has passed since “Ford Model T” was developed and sparked the boom of motorization.  Although history of robots is about 60 years later, its platform “Robot Model T” is expected to come to the light soon.  It may be a simple robot at first.  But if TV camera is added to be used as crime and disaster prevention, it will transform into a home robot and even a robotic room that carries necessary functions.  Professor Sato draws the scenario in which mechatronics centered on robotics technology will support the future of Japan.