Robots may be helping spectators in wheelchairs at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games has announced that the Tokyo 2020 Robot Project helpers will assist individuals in wheelchairs to guarantee they’ll have “an experience they are unlikely to forget.”
“The Tokyo 2020 Games are a unique opportunity for us to display Japanese robot technology,” said Tokyo 2020 Robot Project’s Hirohisa Hirukawa, according to New Atlas. “This project will not simply be about exhibiting robots, but showcasing their practical real-life deployment in helping people. So there will be not only sports at the Tokyo 2020 Games, but some cool robots at work to look forward to as well.”
Toyota’s Human Support Robot and Delivery Support Robot will be offering their assistance to fans in wheelchairs. The bots will deliver food and other goods to spectators at the stadium, guide people to their seats, and even offer information to individuals.
The Human Support Robot (HSR) has a tablet interface and an arm/gripper for picking up items and placing them elsewhere. The Delivery Support Robot (DSR) will work in collaboration with HSR by transporting items to a drop off zone where HSR can grab the item and deliver it to spectators.
In total, Japan Times reported there will be 16 HSRs and 10 DSRs at the 2020 Olympic Games. Other robots may be helping on the sidelines, but the project has yet to reveal these bots. One they did reveal was Panasonic’s Power Assist Suits, an exoskeleton that helps individuals lift heavy items.
“We are kicking off this robot project with the help of many people in order to help realize a truly innovative Games, as stated in Tokyo 2020’s vision,” said Tokyo 2020’s Masaaki Komiya. “I would like as many people as possible to experience these technologies, which are one of Japan’s strengths, and I believe that through these we will be able to showcase a new style of the Games.”