Japan once called "The Land Of Tradition" is now better known as " The Island Of Robots". In this report, I define a robot and I discuss worldwide robotic use, some types of robots used in Japan and the effect of robotics on the Japanese workers.
A robot may be defined as a completely self-controlled device consisting of electronic, electrical, or mechanical units. The word robot comes from the Czech story and play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots); it means " worker ". The fictional robot has traditionally been a mobile device, humanoid in appearance, and of metallic structure. Today the majority of robots are not at all humanoid. Instead they are machines designed to perform some specific function , most commonly in the manufacturing field but increasingly in other areas as well.
Most scientists define a robot as a machine body that is operated by a computer, working independently of humans and capable of doing different jobs. Like other machines robots make our work easier, by moving materials, tools or other objects through programmed actions.
The British Robot Association estimated that the worldwide application of industrial robots in 1978 was between 6000 and 7000 devices. About half of these were located in Japan, a quarter in the U.S. and the rest in all of Europe. In the United kingdom there was 60-70 robots, with eight times that number in West Germany.
In 1985 Japan had installed over 64,000 robots in its factories. The figure compares with 13,000 such robots in the U.S., 20,500 in Europe and 2,623 in Britain.
Many scientists think that by the year 2,000, Almost all large-scale factories will be run almost entirely by robots and a few staff of human. Robots linked to a central computer system will maintain the flow of components from warehouses to the assembly line where other robots will assemble the finished product.
Japan is both the leading maker and user of robots, with a majority of them employed on the automobile assembly lines. They are using robots in many areas.
As early as 1982 the Japanese scientists had invented a powerful hand that could move objects just like a human hand. It had twelve joints and could do many other tasks ( see illustration 1). Today many factories especially high tech ones that make computers, televisions, etc. use robotic hands instead of human operators to assemble tiny electronic parts ( see illustration 2).
Japanese also use robotics in agriculture (which is very labor intensive) to save man power. Robots on some Japanese farms spray insecticide and fertilizer and even inspect eggs in place of humans.
By 1990 the Japanese had in operation robot nurses in hospitals, robot guides for the blind and even robotic street sweepers.
Today Japanese home builders are also developing robots that are replacing some human jobs, these robots are being used to prefabricate houses. Japanese manufacturing is also developing robots that can cut, sew, finish and inspect clothing, just like human beings but faster; some of these robots can even design.
In Europe or the United States, if workers have resisted robots it is usually for the fear of losing their jobs if a machine can do them cheaper and better. In Japan , however , the much publicized lifetime employment system virtually guarantees workers in large corporation jobs, and unions are normally organized by company, rather than by trade or skill. To an employee convinced he will be with the same company for life, the introduction of a robot or other automation may mean a new assignment, but not the upheaval of unemployment.
However, Japanese have been forced to deal with robotics taking over their jobs. Even though Japanese trade unions have agreements with companies that guarantee workers cannot be discharged, robots are replacing humans throughout Japan. Reports from Japan indicate that these workers are sidelined because their previous skills have been made obsolete, by new developments in robotics. These replaced workers are taught new skills and are given new jobs. The answer to this problem may require the process of robotization being gradually done in generations.
In this report I defined "robotics" and I discussed types of robotics and the effect on the Japanese. I learned that the Japanese workers are threatened by the possibility of robots taking over their jobs. Japanese scientists think that by the year 2,000, almost all work done in large scale factories will be performed by robots and staff will include only a few human workers. Only the future will tell if robotics is a good thing for the Japanese workers.