The future or just freaky? Face to face with 3 of Japan’s humanoid robots

The International Robot Exhibition (IREX) rolls through Tokyo every two years, bringing a slew of industrial robots and a handful of the so-called “service” variety. The latter category includes robots meant to assist humans – think the powered leg and back attachments that allow people to lift heavy objects – as well as communication-focused robots like SoftBank’s Pepper and Sharp’s Robohon.

There was something else lurking among the massive automobile-assembling arms and blinking LED eyes, however. And depending on how you feel about the future of robotics and their physical aesthetics, you’re either about to get excited or seriously creeped out.

Here are three androids that Tech in Asia came face-to-face with at IREX last weekend:

Junko Chihira

Surrounded by a throng of onlookers near the exhibition hall entrance, I had to wait for the crowd to thin out before I could even “meet” Junko Chihira. She’s a 165-centimeter tall (5’5”) android designed to resemble a 26-year-old Japanese woman.

Junko made her public debut at a shopping center in Tokyo in October, where she greeted customers in Japanese, English, and Chinese. She’s also the poster child for Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s “Robot Revolution Initiative,” announced in May this year. The five-year plan, backed by a combination of 200 corporate entities and universities, seeks to increase the usage of robots in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, hospitality, and other sectors.

Junko represents the friendly face of the push. Its end goal is to ultimately increase robotics sales to JPY 2.4 trillion (US$19.7 billion) before the arrival of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – where Junko is expected to provide assistance to foreign visitors. She was built by consumer electronics giant Toshiba, in collaboration with the Tokyo metropolitan government and Mitsubishi’s property management division.

The robot doesn’t walk, but it can use its arms to gesture. It also can’t hold a conversation, but a speech recognition update is planned for 2017. Despite the grand-sounding “robot revolution,” Junko is little more than a moving, talking mannequin.

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