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Robots Entering Daily Life in Japan
Posted by
Soulskill
on Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:55 AM
from the come-with-me-if-you-want-some-sushi dept.
from the come-with-me-if-you-want-some-sushi dept.
USA Today is running a story about the emergence of robots in common aspects of life in Japan. Many simple yet social jobs are being filled by robots of increasing sophistication. The article suggests that Japanese culture is more open to such interaction than the majority of other cultures. Quoting:
"For Japan, the robotics revolution is an imperative. With more than a fifth of the population 65 or older, the country is banking on robots to replenish the workforce and care for the elderly. The government estimates the industry could surge from about $5.2 billion in 2006 to $26 billion in 2010 and nearly $70 billion by 2025. Besides financial and technological power, the robot wave is favored by the Japanese mind-set as well. Robots have long been portrayed as friendly helpers in Japanese popular culture, a far cry from the often rebellious and violent machines that often inhabit Western science fiction."
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Robots are here (Score:5, Interesting)
Tentacles (Score:5, Funny)
I hate this characterization of the West (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:I hate this characterization of the West (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re:I hate this characterization of the West (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Re:I hate this characterization of the West (Score:5, Insightful)
FP had an excellent link to a snowplowing robot. How long do you think that would be in operation before some kid threw himself under it and the place using the robot to clean the parking lot and the manufacturer of the robot got sued?
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
We also haven't embraced robots in the industrial sector to the extent that the Japanese have, and much of that has to do with the perception of them as human replacements, not because they're rebellious and violent. Honestly, it's the humans that often get rebellious a
It's much more about cheap labor. (Score:5, Insightful)
If Japan had a Mexico on its southern borders they wouldn't be working on robots so much ether.
Give NAFTA another ten years and we will need robots for lots of stoop work as well. It's already starting with crop work (Grape harvesting is switching over to robots as we speak).
Parent
Re:I hate this characterization of the West (Score:5, Interesting)
It also might explain why western robots in development usually have guns on them. I mean iRobot is the most popular robotics company in the USA but most of their money comes from military contracts and not consumer sales.
Parent
Re:I hate this characterization of the West (Score:5, Insightful)
I think that people, as you were saying, are more concerned that the robots won't work well, than that they are dangerous. Once they know somebody with one or see one in action, it becomes a no brainer.
Parent
politeness, restraint, and deference to authority (Score:5, Interesting)
In America or Europe if a worker no longer serves the bottom line they are likely to be quickly discarded. Though they might seek other positions in the company, even training is likely to be their responsibility to have in order in advance. From hiring to firing the relationship will lack compassion and no one bows. Similar rules extend to family where a historically extreme level of independence is becoming the norm. People must find a way for themselves to get by.
In Japan employees or relations might find their roles changing to respond to circumstance, but leaving the group is typically a last resort. There from meeting to parting everyone bows to each other. People must find a place for themselves in a group.
In typical American or European conditions robots embody the cold displacement that all must fear. Robots become implacable competitors in almost any setting. Japanese social networks welcome the robots in part because they do not suffer the same endemic fear of rejection and displacement. Robots are suited to tasks that are difficult or not valued enough for people, so they are easily seen as cooperative.
Parent
Children of Men (Score:5, Interesting)
But, coincidentally, the next day I saw a demonstration of ASIMO, Honda's self-contained little robot -- and it resonated so well with the movie that it's hard to believe in coincidence anymore.
The Japanese are already living in that Children of Men world, their birthrate is shockingly low, and they have almost no immigration, so the population is shrinking quickly, especially of young people.
So, what do the Japanese do? Rather than despair (as they did in England, in the movie) they just build a generation of robots...
Simplistic, I know.
Re:Children of Men (Score:5, Insightful)
Anyway, the point is that "Children of Men" wasn't about low birth rate. It is about being forced to confront your civilization having no future, and your life having no meaning.
Parent
Common worries (Score:3, Funny)
Not a problem. If anything goes wrong, just set off a nuclear weapon in the bay. The giant lizards and flying turtles will solve everything.
The robots seem powerful, but once they've shot off all the missiles that are their fingers, they're mostly harmless.
Robots are everywhere, but (Score:4, Interesting)
Interesting, but in Korea, years ago, there was an experiment when trafic lights (or semaphores, whatever) were substituted by an android (a robot police man, showing some Stop and Go signals). The results were very negative. The respect that traficants normally have for ordinary trafic lights was sometimes nearly gone when the android was used... Fear? Disrespect? Whatever...
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
It was something along the lines of the brain treating it like a horridly disfigured person.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:You need to take a short, unpleasant trip ... (Score:5, Funny)
Impressive, that's actually one of the most popular kinds of roboticists.
Parent
Four words (Score:4, Funny)
Shows the deep-seated hatred of foreigners.... (Score:3, Interesting)
No other society would spend so much money and effort to build Robots to replace an ageing population.
Not even Germany is such introverted or had so much hatred in-built.
I remember reading somewhere:
1. France is the country with most restrictive laws on migration, yet is most lenient when it comes to accomodating foreigners.
2. Japan has the most open laws in books to allow migration, yet its officialdom is the most restrictive in implementing it.
Probably because unlike Reich, the Imperial Japanese military never was defeated wholly in their heartland. Instead they surrendered voluntarily thus allowing them to keep their introverted practices.
Japan still has shops, stores, etc., that do not service foreigners (especially the adult shops as my friend can testify).
And they STILL do not speak English beyond Tokyo.
I welcome the slow decline and ultimate disappearance of japanese society as a whole.
Re:Shows the deep-seated hatred of foreigners.... (Score:4, Insightful)
I find it sad that you take not speaking English as some kind of black mark. You'll find that most Americans and British people speak nothing other than their own language. Why should the Japanese, if they would rather not? Other countries are not there simply to service the needs of English-speaking tourists, and if you'd ever seen what a group of Englishmen in a sex shop looks like, you might sympathise with the Japanese for wanting to keep them out!
Parent
Re:Shows the deep-seated hatred of foreigners.... (Score:4, Interesting)
I have been to large cities (Boston, Hartford, NYC, SF) in US, worked there, and also stayed in small towns (Keene[NH], New Britain[CT], MA, TX) etc.
Not ONCE did i find even a trace of racism being shown by anybody (from my co-workers to the cops who stopped me because one of my headlights was not working).
The only time i was shouted upon was at the DMV in New Britain, CT when my hearing was bad due to a cold when they called out my last name for license. (i use first name and last name never entered my mind).
Not just officialdom: I have chatted with my taxi driver (a college student) everyday (Keene, NH), discussed movies (The Village was a bad movie) with Stop&Shop clerks (cashing a TC), long discussion with cops (lost my way and stopped a cop-:)) on best ways to avoid a ticket, Museum curators on whether Edison would be crucified if born today, etc.
I have also attended bachelor parties, SOX games, etc., with my hosts one time.
In fact, i prefer US more than i prefer Australia (which is to say a lot).
The model in US is simple: You are considered good and trusted unless you prove otherwise. If you do not betray the trust or work hard enough, Americans trust you more than others.
Of course if you screw up, you don't get a second chance. Which is acceptable.
In Japan, even if you are twice as good as they are (Am good in software design: Twice as good as any japanese.) they neither treat you as a human nor treat you like one of the boys.
Parent
Japan has it right; The rest of the west is (Score:4, Interesting)
But in the mean time, the west would do well to create loads of automated jobs. It would also help solve such issues as illegal aliens in America. But the only way to go back to creating wealth here is to have honest cheap energy and automation on construction, agriculture and manufactuering. And that is VERY needed by EU as well as Canada.
Bad Idea (Score:3, Funny)