Unirobot Co., Ltd.’s next-generation social robot “Unibo” was released in October 2017 for corporate use and in 2018 for home use.
In an aging society with a declining birthrate, robots are already commonplace in corporate reception desks, long-term care facilities, and hospitals, but are still unfamiliar to ordinary households. This time, we told Mr. Taku Sakai, the company’s CEO, that he wants to create a robot that can be a “partner” that can be a “partner” that can be a part of people’s lives even in ordinary households. I was able to hear more about the method.
- Contents
- ◆ Overview
- ◆ Interview with Mr. Taku Sakai, CEO of Unirobot Co., Ltd.
- ◆ Current case studies
- ▽ Unirobot Co., Ltd. Overview
◆ Overview
“What
is Unibo?” Unibo is a next-generation social robot that learns people’s individuality (hobbies, tastes, lifestyles).
<< Basic functions >>
・ Family deacon
・ Proposal of daily life
・ Communication (everyday conversation is learned daily with emotional expression)
・ Programming (free customization using the development kit “Skill Creator” and skill packs development is possible)
, home appliances control of
video calls, with-remote watching, photography
, (optional) foreign languages, cooperation with external systems, sensors and the like (Bluetooth collaboration, Web API, etc.)
For details on the functions, see the second video article !
◆ Interview with Mr. Taku Sakai, CEO of Unirobot Co., Ltd.
――Please tell us the reason for the development.
I thought that Japanese society would definitely need a robot that could communicate like “Doraemon” and could be my partner in the long run.
I think that mobile phones, smartphones, and then partner robots like this will become widespread. As a social contribution activity, I personally volunteered, so I wanted to use the power of technology to do something that could contribute to society.
I had been thinking about how to contribute to society from the consumer’s point of view, which is for home use, and I felt that the timing was just right.
――What kind of trial and error did you have?
Not only in the hardware of robot manufacturing, but first of all, we have to become a partner robot that can be trusted by people, so it is also the case with concept creation, but after thinking about what kind of design is good, artificial intelligence etc. When developing software … Especially when it comes to design, I had a hard time at first when it came to “how people want to be close to each other and how to embrace and immerse themselves in it.”
The last big difficulty in the actual development was the mass production of hardware. In order to mass-produce firmly, it is necessary to make a mold and put it on the market as a product, so when it comes to mass production, it is an item that meets all quality and sales standards, such as a certain safety test. I have to break through. With the great support of our partner companies, we managed to survive mass production.
And, of course, it is necessary to invest funds there, so it was difficult to raise some funds.
–Are there any strengths unique to Unibo?
What only Unibo can do is to learn individuality, and it is different from others in that it is a personalized robot that learns about hobbies, tastes and lifestyles while talking about that person.
Besides, I think that Japanese people like to have the shape and emotional expression of “humanoids” that are not tablets or speakers.
――About the communication robot market ・ How would you like us to utilize Unibo?
There are two types of communication robot market, one for corporations and the other for homes, but it is the fastest in the market to see the value of robots in this way because they are still used in industry rather than for homes. I think it’s a way of penetration.
The field I have high expectations for in the future is the field of education. Until now, he was active in hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, and reception desks of companies, but one perspective that will become more widespread in the future is to increase opportunities for children to come into contact with robots. Children play games even if they touch the tablet, but it is not always the case that they are willing to study. That’s why we are currently trying things like “robots become teachers” with partner companies, and I think that if we can do that, children will be able to study happily. Even parents can save money, and even if they cannot go to cram school due to financial problems, they can learn English conversation and math cheaply. Since you don’t have to go to the school, you don’t have to worry about strange stories or being involved in kidnapping cases that are sometimes reported.
In facilities with many elderly people, there are many generations who do not use PCs very much, so it is difficult for new technologies to enter, as is the case with robots. There is no robot that can do anything as easily as science fiction, so we have to take the time to enable the robots to meet the needs of the field one by one. We will take on challenges there as well, but on the other hand, robots such as Pepper have recently begun to be used in elementary schools, so I feel that we have entered a new era that we could not have imagined a long time ago. In the future, I would like to contribute to the theme of education, so I have a dream that robots will come into my home little by little.
–What is the possibility of feeling a communication robot?
In the industrial world, labor shortages have become a major issue, and a wave of automation utilizing ICT is rushing in rush with work style reforms. We are also upgrading Unibo with that in mind, but as the number of examples in line with the usage scene increases little by little, we believe that robots will gradually penetrate the market. After the Tokyo Olympics, I think that the flow of focusing more on what humans should do will accelerate, leaving it to the robots to gradually do what they can do. This is because the background is the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence that supports robotics technology and rapid technologies such as IoT and 5G.
There may have been expectations for the past few years, but in the future, I think that robots that can be put into practical use will survive and become services. The market penetration will be gradual, but it is a matter of persistent evolution. I think that communication robots will surely be able to contribute to society if the PDCA cycle is rotated and verification → examples increase, and if success data such as prevention of dementia can be obtained. From the point of view of popularization, there may still be “before dawn”, but since it is an industry that is rising from now on, I think that you can expect future development. And in the end, it would be great if I could be loved by my family. I believe that such a future will surely come.
――Finally, what do you want to convey to your readers?
The robots we make are based on the concept of “partner robots with infinite possibilities,” so I hope that various people will know the high degree of expandability that comes from making them.
The world we are aiming for is a robot that makes us excited, “I wish I could do something like this.” I hope that you will feel the existence of partner robots that have so many possibilities and dreams.
What you’ve seen in manga and movies is definitely getting closer to reality step by step. We may be able to help you there, so I would like to continue working with our partner companies to expand the world.
◆ Current case studies
Currently, Unibo has been introduced as a guide robot in several “strange hotels” including Hamamatsucho, and it guides the inside of the hotel and checks the restaurants in the vicinity. In addition, it has already been introduced in other hospitals, nursing homes, and day services that are used as reception desks for major companies as a demonstration experiment, and it is possible to talk and sing songs with Unibo for rehabilitation purposes, exchange time and recreation time. , It seems that it is used in scenes such as gymnastics together. In the future, it will be gradually introduced to the utilization of roll call operations performed by operation managers, including hotel guest rooms.
▽ Overview of Unirobot Co., Ltd.
Yubinbango151-0073
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Sasazuka 3-2-15 Chapter Ⅱ Berupuraza 5F
President: Taku Sakai
Founded: August 2014
Business:
Development of a next-generation social robot, manufacture, sale
artificial intelligence, state-of-the-art technology Research and development
Related Links
Unirobot Co., Ltd .:
https://www.unirobot.com/