Japanese industrial robot specialist Yaskawa plans to sell a humanoid within one to two years

Hiroshi Ogasawara, chairman and chief executive of Yaskawa Electric, discussed the plan when the group presented its results on 9 October.

According to him, the company wants to put a product of a certain standard on the market within 1 to 2 years, then launch its products in earnest around 2030. He expects humanoids equipped with artificial intelligence to become widespread by then.

The development relies on Tokyo Robotics, a start-up spun out of Waseda University that Yaskawa acquired in July last year. Founded in 2015, it is known for the force and impedance control of its robots, and makes the Torobo humanoid and the Torobo Hand robotic hand.

Yaskawa is drawing on its expertise in motors for industrial robots and is reportedly developing compact, high-power motors suited to humanoids, according to Robot Newspaper. In July this year, the group also invested in Noetra, a Japanese artificial intelligence company.

According to the Tokyo Robotics website, Torobo stands 1,615 mm tall and sits on a mobile platform 590 mm wide. Each of its arms can carry up to 7 kg.