Robotics

Cyberdyne shows new industrial cleaning robot at IREX 2013

Cyberdyne shows new industrial cleaning robot at IREX 2013
Cyberdyne's new industrial cleaning robot
Cyberdyne's new industrial cleaning robot
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Cyberdyne's new industrial cleaning robot
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Cyberdyne's new industrial cleaning robot
Cyberdyne's new industrial cleaning robot
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Cyberdyne's new industrial cleaning robot
Cyberdyne's new industrial cleaning robot
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Cyberdyne's new industrial cleaning robot
Sony's Playstation controller sells as part of the package
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Sony's Playstation controller sells as part of the package
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL is considered the most advanced robotic suit on the planet
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL is considered the most advanced robotic suit on the planet
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL comes in upper body, lower body, and right and left side versions of each
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL comes in upper body, lower body, and right and left side versions of each
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
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Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL
Cyberdyne founder Professor Sankai is often described as the Henry Ford of the coming assistive limb industry
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Cyberdyne founder Professor Sankai is often described as the Henry Ford of the coming assistive limb industry
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Better known for producing the world's most advanced exoskeletons, Japan's Cyberdyne is expanding its portfolio with a new as-yet-unnamed industrial cleaning robot for very large areas such as factories and warehouses.

The first and current model in the Cyberdyne Industrial Cleaning Robot range follows magnetic tape around the factory to do its chores, and sells for JPY9,000,000 (approximately US$90,000).

The latest soon-to-be-released model employs a Sony Playstation controller which is used to direct the cleaner around its designated cleaning areas, then thanks to its greater intelligence and laser range finder, it remembers its areas of responsibility and can do the job on its own from that point. Alternatively, the robot can also explore the area and build its own internal map.

Sony's Playstation controller sells as part of the package
Sony's Playstation controller sells as part of the package

No fixed date has been set for the release of the new model, though we expect there will be a considerable queue for the machine, as Cyberdyne is shaping as a "Rolls-Royce" brand name in the assistive-limb, robot-suit and exoskeleton arenas and there's every reason to believe its industrial cleaning equipment will be viewed similarly.

What's more, when we saw the unit on the floor of the International Robotics Expo in Tokyo yesterday, the Cyberdyne rep dropped a clincher into the conversation – the new model will be cheaper than the last model – with a sales pitch like that, we don't expect they're planning on selling many more of the current model.

Cyberdyne founder Professor Sankai is often described as the Henry Ford of the coming assistive limb industry
Cyberdyne founder Professor Sankai is often described as the Henry Ford of the coming assistive limb industry

Cyberdyne's Robot Suit HAL is regarded as the most advanced robotic suit available, and yes, if the word HAL is familiar, it's because Cyberdyne's founder Yoshiyuki Sankai, a professor at the University of Tsukuba, saw Stanley Kubrick's 2001: a Space Odyssey too, and liked the reference.

Professor Sankai is no evil genius though, and has vowed his technology will never be used to harm a human being, or in any capacity on the battlefield.

View gallery - 18 images
2 comments
2 comments
montyst509
Does It say "Ah'll be baack" when it needs to return?
dalroth5
"...has vowed his technology will never be used to harm a human being, or in any capacity on the battlefield." Well, yeah, but once he sells one it's not his technology any more is it? I don't think it would take too much alteration of one of his suits to use it to bludgeon somebody into unconsciousness, would it? Or casually flick them out of the window? Come on.