AI robots and humanoid robots take center stage at Tokyo's International Robot Exhibition

Video. Ai robots in Tokyo showcase future tech advancements

AI-powered robots are attracting crowds in Tokyo, showcasing the latest in robot technology. Highlights include a humanoid robot performing mock disaster tasks. AI-powered robots are drawing steady crowds at a major trade show in Tokyo, where more than 670 companies and research groups have gathered to show the latest in robot technology. At Kawasaki Heavy Industries' booth, a new humanoid robot used remote controls to put out a mock fire and rescue a toy cat, giving visitors a glimpse of future disaster work. With China and the United States pushing rapid advances in humanoids and robotic arms, expectations are rising that AI robots could take on risky tasks or ease labour shortages. The exhibition runs until Saturday.

Spotlight shines on humanoid robots at Tokyo show

Robots equipped with cutting-edge technologies that perform duties on behalf of humans at workplaces and disaster-hit sites are on display at the 2025 International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo. At the exhibition, which kicked off at Tokyo Big Sight on Wednesday, the spotlight is on humanoid robots as well as those powered by artificial intelligence. Kawasaki Heavy Industries is showcasing the newest model of its humanoid robot Kaleido, which is equipped with technologies such as autonomous movement and remote control. In a demonstration held the same day, the robot extinguished a mock fire, removed a fallen shelf weighing 30 kilograms and rescued a dummy cat. "We focus on a human-sized design so that our robots can use fireproof clothing and devices," a company official said. GMO Internet Group is demonstrating a humanoid robot that can show various movements, such as dancing while jumping and serving customers at a cafe. Joining hands with SoftBank, Yaskawa Electric is exhibiting a near-future office where robots work alongside humans. At the office, a physical AI robot immediately grasps the situation based on photos taken by a camera and moves to clean and tidy up items in the room. Man-Machine Synergy Effectors has a robot integrated with an aerial work platform. The robot enables humans wearing virtual reality goggles to move its viewpoint and arms to conduct work such as maintaining railway facilities and timber felling. The 26th edition of the biennial robot exhibition has brought together a record 673 companies and organizations. During the session through Saturday, the exhibition is expected to attract more than 150,000 visitors. The admission fee is ¥1,000, but entry is free for junior high school students and younger children.