Japan's yearly robot award goes to mechanical arm

BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Japan's Robot of the Year award was given Thursday to a mechanical arm that can grab 120 items a minute from a conveyor belt, outdistancing in the vote a walking humanoid and a transparent torso that simulates surgery.

The government prize is the latest effort in an aggressive campaign to promote Japan's robotics technology as the nation's best vehicle to growth.

The award, now in its second year, sent a clear message that utility and business, rather than entertainment or academia, are at the forefront of the robotic push. Last year's winner was a vacuum-cleaner robot.

Entries ranged from parts and Mindstorms software from Danish toy maker Lego Group to an industrial robot from Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. ¢w maker of Subaru cars ¢w a container-on-wheels that can lug 440 pounds of pharmaceuticals.

The three assembly-line mechanical arms from Fanuc Ltd. that won were distinguished for their practicality. They are already being used at food and pharmaceutical plants, where sanitation is critical and human error can be disastrous, said Ryo Nihei, a Fanuc manager.

Swiveling frenetically, they analyzed digital images of items scattered randomly on a swiftly moving conveyor belt and picked up the items using suction cups that blow air in and out at their tips. They then worked together to place line up the items in rows inside boxes.

With no exposed wiring, the Fanuc robots are easy to wash and sanitize, Nihei said, and they can work 24 hours straight.

"The trend these days is to try to avoid having human workers at all. People can get dirty and introduce unwanted objects," he said.

(Agencies)