With Japan aging, Toyota to staff factories with robots

[Ratko]

TOKYO (AFP) - Toyota Motor will introduce robots which can work as well or better than humans at all 12 of its factories in Japan to cut costs and deal with a looming labor shortage as the country ages, a press report says.

The robots would be able to carry out multiple tasks simultaneously with their two arms, achieving efficiency unseen in human workers and matching the cheap wages of Chinese laborers, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said.

Japan's top automaker currently uses 3,000 to 4,000 less advanced robots at its domestic factories but their use has been confined mostly to welding, painting and other potentially hazardous tasks, the economic daily said.

The new robots would also be used in finishing work, such as installation of seats and car interior fixtures, that have been too complex for conventional robots up to now, the daily said.

A Toyota spokesman confirmed the company would expand the use of advanced robots but said it had not decided whether to install them at all factories.

"Our principle is that human workers are the main players and robots are only in a supportive role," the spokesman said.

The Nihon Keizai said Toyota planned eventually to become the first automaker to use the advanced robots in all production processes but it did not give a timeframe.

"We aim to reduce production costs to the levels in China," the daily quoted an unnamed company official as saying.

Toyota also took into account the looming labor shortage in Japan due to a declining birthrate, the report said.

Japan's population is forecast to peak by 2006 with the average number of children a woman has during her lifetime standing at a post-World War II low of 1.29, according to the latest government data.

Japan has so far rejected calls to open up to large numbers of unskilled immigrants, fearing the effects on the country's social framework.

Toyota has been increasingly turning to robot development and plans to welcome visitors to its pavillion at the World Expo in Japan in March with humanoid robots jamming in a brass ensemble and performing hip-hop.

[Ukrainian102]

Better hope reliability doesn't suffer if robots are gonna be making it all.

[karugs]

Are they gonna use Honda's Asimo?

[Ukrainian102]

^ Haha that's what I pictured in my mind too. They start building Civics and shit at Toyota's plants and badge them as Toyota.

[4G63Attack]

honda is going to have onstar! if any one care

[Ne0z31]

its just the start... ever seen the terminator movies?

[SolaraTRD]

^^

Yea, one day those robots gonna start killing people for not oiling them properly or keeping them on for over 24 hours straight. Over heating issues. ~lol

[nstercelgirl]

Robots hahaha

[Rapeacivic]

I fear the day robots take over

[WhiteRabbit]

haha, just realized i posted the same topic a few days ago doh!

should have known better and searched first

[rolla-XRS]

Dang it! When they said "the Cylon's are coming", I thought they meant physically...not figuratively.

[dna59]

I don't trust robots at all. I would feel a bit paranoid knowing a robot built my whole car.