Mitsubishi to develop humanoid robots to assist in car manufacturing
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Mitsubishi has signed a cooperation agreement with a technology start-up to develop humanoid robots to help build cars at its factories.
According to a Carscoops report on Saturday, Mitsubishi has partnered with Highlanders, a start-up that originated at the University of Tokyo, to build robots prepared to tackle labour shortages in Japan.
NHK World reported that Mitsubishi aims to begin mass production of the robots at its Kyoto plant as early as next year.
“We aim to build the foundation of a new industry where humans and robots work together,” said Mitsubishi Motors CEO Kato Takao.
According to Carscoops, Mitsubishi has invested in Highlanders but has not disclosed the investment amount or its shareholding in the start-up.
Rather than purchasing machines from external suppliers as BMW does in the United States, Mitsubishi wants to develop the robots together with Highlanders and will assemble them itself.
The company plans to make use of empty buildings at its Kyoto plant to develop and assemble the robots.
Mitsubishi is targeting a production capacity of 1,000 units per month at the facility.
The robots, equipped with artificial intelligence, will eventually be used for tasks such as transporting components and assembling engines.
If they perform well, the company will consider selling its robots to other manufacturers.
“Our collaboration with Highlanders is a challenge aimed at building the foundation of a new industry where humans and robots work together,” said Kato Takao.
He said the collaboration gives Mitsubishi Motors a valuable opportunity to deepen its technological and business expertise in the field of humanoid robotics.
“By utilising humanoid robots in our own manufacturing facilities and supporting the production of Highlanders’ products, we aim to leverage the results of this collaboration to drive our growth and enhance corporate value,” he said.
He added that existing supply chains in the automotive industry could support the development of robots, pointing to various types of work on production lines from welding to logistics as evidence of the “great potential” available in the future.