Tokyo University of Science in Japan leads the automation of life science research with ultra-precision robots

(Tokyo = Yonhap News) Correspondent Cho Seong-mi and Lee Do-yeon = Recently, China and the United States are competing to show off the brilliant development of advanced robot-related technology.

Robots fight each other, run marathons, and even do flips with ease.

The atmosphere of Japan's robot industry, the country where 'Asimo', the original humanoid, was born, is quiet compared to the United States and China.

However, if you look inside, it gives the impression that they are refining their competitiveness in ‘ultra-precision robot operation’ without revealing it in a flashy way.

A representative example is the use of robots in biotechnology research at Tokyo University of Science in Japan, which requires ultra-precision work.

Tokyo University of Science is the mecca of robotics technology in Japan, where Professor Emeritus Masahiro Mori, a pioneer in Japanese robotics and the inventor of the “uncanny valley” concept that describes the reluctance people feel when robots become similar to humans, worked there.

This university is conducting a project in which 10 two-armed robots will conduct biotechnology experiments and research centered on the 'Robot Future Creation Center' established on the Yushima Campus in Tokyo.

It is said to be the world's largest laboratory automation (LA) using robots.

The life science research robot 'Mahoro' was produced by Yaskawa Electric, a Japanese robot manufacturer that has been working with Tokyo University of Science on robot research projects for nearly 20 years.

The robot's brain is equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) developed by Tokyo University of Science and Technology and Yaskawa Electric with support from the Japanese government. This is a model that combines a general-purpose AI model with specialized learning for biotechnology research.

Of the 10 two-armed robots, 7 are the 'body' that directly conducts research, while 3 are the 'brains' that develop the logic for robot research.

Professor Kenki Kanda, who oversees the Robot Future Creation Center at Tokyo University of Science, announced on the 4th that he was originally a scholar researching biology at the Research Institute of Science and Technology (RIKEN).

He said that he decided to jump into experiments and research using robots when he realized that it would be difficult to conduct research using human power alone.

Professor Ganda said, "Using a robot greatly increases the reproducibility of the experiment. If a human does it and has a success rate of about 5%, the success rate of a robot is close to 100% even though it does not sleep or rest for 24 hours."

Professor Kanda explained that Mahoro, who diligently moves his arms over experimental samples in the center's laboratory, is analyzing trace amounts of proteins collected from the human body.

The robot is said to be capable of most experiments required for life science research, such as DNA analysis, gene amplification (PCR) testing, and cell culture.

Professor Ganda explained, "The process of inducing differentiation from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) into retinal cells is performed for 40 days. When the AI ​​suggests an experiment method, the robot performs the culture and the AI ​​confirms the results. The process is repeated to increase the accuracy of the experiment."

The robot was locked inside a glass wall, and it was said that this was because there was no need for humans to control it.

Professor Ganda said, "Robots are designed to move around to avoid people, even when people are present. We are now living in an era where people can actually interfere with robot research."

He added, “In the long term, the goal is a system where human researchers only come up with ideas and robots carry out all research autonomously.”

He said that the center is additionally developing cutting-edge research AI models using NVIDIA's graphics processing unit (GPU) and BioNeMo, an AI platform for life sciences.

Tokyo University of Science plans to advance next-generation research and experiment automation technology based on AI and robot technology, while expanding the horizons of the bio field, including development of new drugs and vaccines, cancer research, and artificial organ development.

The Robotic Biology Institute (RBI), a subsidiary of Yaskawa Electric, which developed Mahoro, is located on the same floor as the center and is working hand-in-hand with researchers to improve the precision of robots and to find an environment optimized for experiments and research.

Sakae Yamaguchi, leader of the Robotic Biology Institute, said that the specifications of the two-arm robot used at the center are the same as those for industrial use, and that it has a precision that allows only an error of 0.1 mm.

When asked about China's robot development level and its comparison with Japan, Leader Yamaguchi said, "It seems certain that Chinese manufacturers are improving their capabilities. However, the precision of robot work will be the key."

He continued, “Japan’s competitiveness in the industrial robot field is still strong, and Japan is trying to develop physical AI based on this.”

Minebe Mitsumi, a representative Japanese precision machinery and parts manufacturer, recently attracted attention by exhibiting a 'robot hand' at a high-tech exhibition held in Tokyo.

The company's robot hand, with the slogan of supporting the future of humanoid robots with ultra-precision parts, has an appearance that is not much different from a human hand in terms of finger thickness and joint structure.

When a person moved their hand in front of them, the robot finger, which read the movement using a motion capture sensor, followed suit.

A company official met at the exhibition emphasized, "We have implemented a strong grip while moving quickly and nimbly, and we have maximized energy efficiency with low power while providing control that can hold everything from fragile soft objects to hard objects."

This official said, "Chinese humanoids boast features such as running and lifting objects like humans, but the key is how smoothly and quietly they move. In the end, Japanese parts have strengths in those areas even if they are more expensive."

This company said that it supplies robot parts not only to Japan, but also to the Chinese and Korean robot industries.

Dexterity, an American logistics robot unicorn company, recently announced that it is collaborating with Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries on technology that allows for fine force control to mass-produce robots. America's cutting-edge physical AI technology is also demanding the technological prowess of the Japanese hardware industry.