Toyota

Toyota Research gets Kuffner, and Google gets Brondmo

Frank Tobe 18 Jan 2016

At a press conference last week at CES, Toyota, led by Gill Pratt of DARPA fame and now CEO of Toyota Research Institute (TRI), informed the world what Toyota intended to do with it's billion dollar...

Drone maker DJI and Toyota: setting up R&D centers in Silicon Valley

Frank Tobe 09 Nov 2015

No wonder rents are so high in Silicon Valley. Companies from around the world are setting up research facilities and grabbing talent from the area. The most recent announcements are that Chinese dr...

Corporations and governments stimulating robotics and AI development

Frank Tobe 07 Sep 2015

In two simultaneous launches last week, Toyota Motor and the UK RAS Group backed their previous statements regarding the imperative for robotics and AI development with money, roadmaps and strategic a...

Former DARPA Program Manager Gill Pratt to direct Toyota’s new $50M robotics investment

Ioannis K. Erripis 04 Sep 2015

In a surprise move today, Toyota held a press conference (see video below) announcing a substantial investment in robotics and AI research to develop "advanced driving support" technology, with forme...

Eldercare robots

Frank Tobe 03 Nov 2012

Games, sensors and robots are among the tools beginning to come to market to help aging people live in their homes as long as possible. In December, 2003, BusinessWeek Magazine interviewed Joseph En...

Robots to the rescue as an aging Japan looks for help

Andra Keay 12 Oct 2012

ROBOTS in rapidly ageing Japan are moving from the realm of science fiction and technology fairs to practical use, helping the elderly with rehabilitation and performing daily tasks. See on www.theau...

Toyota unveils new robot aimed at helping the elderly and disabled in the home

Andra Keay 27 Sep 2012

Toyota has developed a new product that seeks to give the elderly and disabled a hand — a robotic one, that is. Toyota worked with the Japan Service Dog Association to determine which household tas...

Robots or immigrants in shrinking Japan

Wolfgang Heller 25 Sep 2012

Who will take over future jobs and welfare services in a shrinking Japan, immigrants or robots? According to a projection of the overall size and the age breakdown of the future population in Japan ...