SoftBank, Japanese robot maker team up on AI office robots

SoftBank and Yaskawa Electric have signed an MoU to develop “physical AI” robots for office environments.

The partnership combines SoftBank’s AI-RAN technology and edge computing with Yaskawa’s robotics and action-generation AI.

The first use case is a robot that can interact with office systems and adapt to changing scenarios, supported by real-time data from sensors, cameras, and building management systems.

The collaboration aims to address Japan’s labor shortages and automation challenges in complex environments like offices and public buildings.

A demonstration of the technology will take place at the International Robot Exhibition at Tokyo Big Sight from December 3 to 6, 2025.

🔗 Source: SoftBank

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Yaskawa’s office robot demo lacks public detail on performance in unstructured offices

Yaskawa built the autonomous “MOTOMAN NEXT” robot, an AI-guided model in its MOTOMAN line 1. Offices have unpredictable people and layouts, which pose new hurdles compared with factory floors.
Its AI work includes bulk picking, which is automated selection of many mixed items, for rigid and soft objects in manufacturing contexts 2. Verification and deployment can happen within 3–4 hours through simulation-based training, which means training in a virtual environment before real use.
The press release lists no details on sensors, onboard computing or power. It also omits mobility, any office pilots, and required safety certifications for shared workspaces 3. That suggests an early showcase rather than near-term commercial rollout.

Building systems integrators can pursue robot to BMS interoperability

Office robots will need to connect with building management systems (BMS) if they become practical. That link can use Building Automation and Control network (BACnet), which had 1,500 assigned vendor IDs worldwide as of September 10, 2024 4. BACnet supports access control, ventilation, lighting and occupancy sensors 5.
Building systems integrators, which connect disparate building technologies, can sell robot to BMS links and APIs. Proptech middleware providers, which bridge different systems, can do the same 3. Japan may see demand because labor shortages are a significant challenge 3.
MultiTech, an industrial connectivity vendor, offers BACnet integrations that link wireless sensors to BMS across campuses 5. That trend could extend to robots.