Re:A $33K robot barista serves 120 cups of coffee an hour
by michaelt on Thursday March 14, 2019 @06:56AM
(#19388077)
I've read a number of theories, some better than others:
1. Japan has an ageing population [1] which means a declining working population. That means job losses don't convert into increased unemployment.
2. Some say Japan relatively prefers robots to immigrants [2] due to "traditional xenophobia".
3. Some people think [3,4] it's due to indigenous religions; that the Christian tradition says only God can create life and any human with the hubris to play god will inevitably be punished, possibly at the hands of their own creation; whereas Shinto says there are hidden spirits in things like trees, rocks, rivers, mountains and so on.
4. Or maybe it's just because their media is full of heroic friendly robots and cyborgs.
Of course, the business value of strapping a robot arm to a bean-to-cup coffee vending machine is another matter...
1. Japan has an ageing population [1] which means a declining working population. That means job losses don't convert into increased unemployment.
2. Some say Japan relatively prefers robots to immigrants [2] due to "traditional xenophobia".
3. Some people think [3,4] it's due to indigenous religions; that the Christian tradition says only God can create life and any human with the hubris to play god will inevitably be punished, possibly at the hands of their own creation; whereas Shinto says there are hidden spirits in things like trees, rocks, rivers, mountains and so on.
4. Or maybe it's just because their media is full of heroic friendly robots and cyborgs.
Of course, the business value of strapping a robot arm to a bean-to-cup coffee vending machine is another matter...
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aging_of_Japan [2] https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/01/japan-prefers-robot-bea... [3] https://www.technologyreview.com/s/421187/why-japanese-love-... [4] https://www.wired.com/story/ideas-joi-ito-robot-overlords/