Som global sponsor till Olympiska och Paralympiska spelen vill Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) tillhandahålla mobilitetslösningar som sträcker sig bortom konventionella fordon under de Olympiska och Paralympiska spelen i Tokyo 2020. Som en del i detta arbete deltar Toyota i ”Tokyo 2020 Robot Project” som leds av Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympics Games (2020) som sammanför regeringens, regionens såväl som spelens partners med experter inom robotteknik. Under spelen i Tokyo 2020 kommer robotarna som introduceras av Toyota att hjälpa människor på flera olika ställen och arenor med mobilitet. Genom att hjälpa människor att känna och uppleva deras drömmar och förhoppningar är Toyota övertygade om att det ytterligare kommer bidra till spänningen och framgången för Tokyo 2020.
– Inom vårt engagemang att hjälpa människor att upptäcka och aktivera sig ’Supporting human life activities and living in harmony with people” använder vi industriell robotteknik på flera olika sätt. Sedan 2004 har vi exempelvis utvecklat robotar som hjälper personer som inte kan röra eller förflytta sig själva, inklusive äldre personer. Nu när vi utvecklas till ett mobilitetsföretag utökar vi robotverksamheten för att de ska ge alla friheten att röra sig. Men ”Mobility for all” behöver nödvändigtvis inte vara fysiska rörelser från en plats till en annan, det kan också innebära virtuell mobilitet. Det ger ytterligare möjligheter att upptäcka nya saker, att mötas och interagera med andra – eller att ”förflyttas” känslomässigt. Under Tokyo 2020 vill vi fånga känslan av besökarnas fantasi genom att tillhandahålla robotar för att göra spelen så framgångsrika som möjligt, säger Nobuhiko Koga, Chief Officer vid Toyotas Frontier Research Center.
Läs mer om Toyotas robotar under Tokyo 2020 nedan.
Tokyo 2020 Mascot Robot Miraitowa / Someity (Mascot Robot)
To make this the most innovative and technologically advanced Games in history, the Tokyo 2020 and Toyota are working to develop a “mascot robot”.
In addition to welcoming athletes and guests to official venues, Toyota is currently considering plans for a new way for the Games to be enjoyed by children in Japan, via the mascot robot.
The mascot robot will both allow expressions of arm movements via a remote-location robot, and share force-feedback from interactions.
Via a camera mounted on the robot’s head, it can recognize people nearby, and once recognized, use its eyes to respond with/show a variety of expressions.
By equipping the robot with miniature joint units across its entire body, the robot offers flexibility when being controlled, and the users can operate the robot safely and with high operational functionality.
[Offered from Tokyo 2020]
T-HR3 (Humanoid Robot)
Toyota will provide a unique way for other guests in remote/distant locations that are unable to be physically present to interact with athletes via the T-HR3 and Mascot robots.
Specifically, the T-HR3 robots will be able to reproduce movement from a mascot robot in a remote location in nearly real-time. In addition to providing images and sounds from the remote locations, these robot users will also be able to experience the power of movement and force-feedback, allowing them to converse with and high-five athletes and others, feeling as if they were truly physically present.
T-TR1 (Remote location communication Robot)
T-TR1 is a virtual mobility/tele-presence robot developed by Toyota Research Institute in the United States. It is equipped with a camera atop a large, near-lifesize display.
By projecting an image of a user from a remote location, the robot will help that person feel more physically present at the robot’s location.
With T-TR1, Toyota will give people that are physically unable to attend the events such as the Games a chance to virtually attend, with an on-screen presence capable of conversation between the two locations.
HSR: Human Support Robot / DSR: Delivery Support Robot
For a portion of the accessible seating seats at the Olympic Stadium, the Toyota Human Support Robot HSR will guide guests to their seat and convey light meals, goods, and etc. for them, helping them to more freely enjoy the competition.
Also, the Toyota Deliver Support Robot DSR, specially developed for Tokyo 2020, will directly deliver drinks and other goods to spectators that they have ordered from a dedicated tablet.
At track and field events, with approx. 500 seats during the Olympic Games and another 500 for the Paralympic Games, the robots are anticipated to serve over 1,000 spectators requiring mobility assistance (Each section is expected to have 16 rows with 32 seats).
FSR: Field Support Robot (Field Event Support Robot)
Special-use robots equipped with autonomous functions as part of throwing event (i.e. javelin) operations at the Olympic Stadium.
While determining the optimal route to travel, the FSR will follow operating staff on a path that avoids obstacles while retrieving and conveying throwing event items.
By using the FSR, the aim is to reduce the amount of time needed to retrieve items as well as reduce the amount of staff labor for the events.
Toyota and Tokyo 2020 will be working with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in developing the FSR for the Tokyo 2020 Games.