Samurai have long been a fiery symbol of Japanese youth. To recreate this era, Japanese scientists have conceived the idea of producing Samurai Robots, and this New Year, the Robot Samurai version has been unveiled. Although it is not yet perfect, this version is hoped to be a meaningful gift for the new year. In the future, it is expected to be refined with more advanced features.
TMSUK (pronounced Tae-muu-zack) has revealed its latest Samurai robot, considered part of the “New World Order.” However, the company has stated that they do not intend to sell this product, which is named “Kyomori” after the 12th-century Japanese general Taira no Kiyomori.
The company believes that this robot symbolizes a new era in Japan’s industry, just as the automotive sector once led the world.
To create this product, TMSUK sought assistance from many sources, particularly from historical records detailing the deities and generals of Japan housed in Shinto shrines. General Kyomori was the top choice, serving as the protective deity of the shrine that marks the golden age of the Samurai generation.
This shrine is known as one of the oldest in Japan and is a place where deities reside to protect the Japanese people from traffic accidents and systemic failures.
TMSUK’s president, Yoichi Takahashi, stated: “We conceived the idea of this robot because we wanted it to help people pray and protect the shrine, bringing peace to the people of Japan.”
However, if TMSUK changes its mind and decides to sell, the estimated value of this robot could reach 8.4 million USD. Currently, this robot symbolizes the technological advancement of the company, but TMSUK hopes to upgrade it and release a new version in the future, potentially a security robot or one capable of caring for and protecting the elderly and disabled.
Meanwhile, Honda has announced that it has taken the lead in the competition to produce robots by launching the new version of its Asimo robot. The idea of improving Asimo has driven Honda’s scientists for a long time, and it can now be said that they have succeeded.
Asimo stands 1.3 meters tall and can now run at a speed of 6 km/h, twice as fast as the previous version, serving coffee to guests and walking hand-in-hand with humans.
Weighing 54 kg, the new Asimo version has 34 full-body movement functions, 14 more than the previous version, and is now equipped with better vision, the ability to detect ultrasonic waves, body movement sensing, and other sensory functions.
Honda has stated that this robot will be showcased to visitors at one of its offices in Tokyo next year.
Masato Hirose, the chief engineer of the Asimo project at Honda, stated: “We, humans, have the ability to think. We also want to produce robots that can think so they can understand how humans think.”
Mr. Hirose believes that in ten years, robots will be able to operate naturally, such as entering the kitchen, opening the refrigerator, and bringing you a cold beer while you watch a soccer match. Although he did not disclose the budget for this robot development project, Honda mentioned that the Asimo robot will be available for lease at approximately 20 million yen, equivalent to 167,000 USD.
It can be said that the idea of robot development has been continuously improved by Japanese scientists. To date, with these new robot versions, we hope that in the future, humanity will reap many benefits from these innovations.
