By Yi Zhang…
During my trip to Japan for ICRA 2024, I had the exciting opportunity to visit the office of my AgriFoRwArdS Industry Partner, RT Corporation, who are located in Akihabara, Tokyo, known as “electronic town”. Aiming to realise a future with robots integrated into our lives, RT is taking on the challenge of developing technologies in cutting-edge AI & Robotics. A wide range of robots are created here, from small mobile robots to 29 degrees-of-freedom (DoF) 120 cm tall humanoid robots.
One standout creation is Sciurus17, a humanoid torso robot that I have been using as an experimental platform to test new controllers for almost a year. It features two 7 DoF arms, a movable torso and a head equipped with an RGB-D camera. All the joints are driven by motors from Robotis which current control is available. This allows low-level control which is convenient for researchers, while RT also provides a user-friendly ROS library with simple controllers to get started quickly.
RT’s expertise extends beyond research, with a strong foothold in the industry as well. Foodly is a humanoid torso robot specifically designed for the food industry. There are no exposed screws on the robot surface to prevent contamination with foreign matter. I had the chance to take a closer look at its internal structure, which revealed a complex yet elegant engineering design. These robots are already deployed in Japanese food factories, automating tasks such as food packing.
I was also privileged to speak with Yukiko Nakagawa, CEO of RT Corporation, who transitioned from researcher to entrepreneur when she founded the company in 2005. Our conversation was incredibly insightful, and Yukiko’s passion for technology was evident. She shared valuable lessons on how to start a company, build a customer base, and maintain those relationships over time. It was an inspiring discussion that showed me not only the technical brilliance of RT Corporation but also the strong leadership that drives its success.
To conclude, my visit to RT Corporation was an inspiring experience. I witnessed firsthand the company’s commitment to both academia/education and industrial applications. I look forward to seeing how their work continues to shape the future of robotics.
Thank you to Yi for sharing her experiences in Japan.
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