Mitsubishi Motors partners to mass produce humanoids in Japan
Mitsubishi Motors has partnered with Highlanders Inc., a startup originating from the University of Tokyo, to develop and mass produce AI equipped humanoid robots, according to Kyodo News. The companies are targeting production of 1,000 units a month by the end of 2027.
The plan gives the automaker a direct role in Japan’s still thin industrial humanoid manufacturing base. Mitsubishi Motors said it expects to apply its manufacturing expertise to the project, while Highlanders develops general purpose robots using domestically sourced parts.
Factory data from an engine line
Mitsubishi Motors plans to introduce the humanoid robots on an engine manufacturing line at its factory in Kyoto, western Japan. The initial factory use is intended to collect data for development and mass production of AI driven robots specialized for automobile production.
The source does not provide specifications for the robot, such as height, weight, degrees of freedom, battery life, payload, autonomy level, or price. For operators, those omissions leave the production target difficult to judge against practical factory requirements. The credible part of the announcement is the planned use of an actual automotive manufacturing line as a data source, rather than a standalone demonstration setting.
“In Japan, we are the ‘leadoff hitter’ in mass producing” humanoid robotsTakao Kato, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors CEO Takao Kato said the company is considering how the robots can be put to practical use while assessing their performance. Highlanders CEO Hiroya Masuoka framed the effort as a response to overseas competition, saying that firms in the United States and China are forging ahead with humanoid robot development.
A Japan centered production claim
Kyodo reports that the companies see bipedal robots as one possible response to labor shortages. That is a common industrial rationale for humanoids, but the announcement is more specific than many such claims because it names an automotive line and sets a monthly production target.
Masuoka also said there is no company in Japan able to compete with global companies in the realm of “physical AI,” referring to the integration of robotics and AI technologies. Highlanders says it wants to take a step forward in that area.
The next test is whether the Mitsubishi humanoids can show useful, repeatable work on the Kyoto engine line before the companies scale toward the 1,000 unit monthly target.
Source: english.kyodonews.net
