Why it’s nearly impossible to build a robot without China
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Bipedal robot "Mini Pi" from Chinese robotics start-up High Torque Technology captured attention at the Humanoids Summit in Tokyo on May 28.
PHOTO: EPA
Meaghan Tobin and Keith Bradsher
TOKYO – Japan led the world in robotics for decades.
More than 50 years ago, Japanese researchers captured imaginations with the first robot capable of grasping objects and walking on two legs. In 1984, a team in Japan built one that could read sheet music and play the piano. When Honda unveiled its first humanoid in 2000, it seemed to cement the country’s lead.
