J, Robot

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Description

January 17, 1995: a massive earthquake hits Kobe, Japan, trapping thousands in collapsed buildings. Conventional search-and-rescue operations prove inadequate, and in the months and years that follow, a new wave of research and development in automated crisis-response technology occurs. But the robotics craze that sweeps Japan as it enters the 21st century springs from more than just the tragic quake. It also reflects the rich culture of manga comics and Japanese science fiction and the pride the Asian nation has taken for decades in creating and building high-tech products. This film explores how and why Japan has become a leader - perhaps the world leader - in humanoid robot technology. Viewers learn about ROBO-ONE, an annual event that is both a design competition and a gladiatorial showdown; the HRP Project, an ongoing robotics study completely supported by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; and the incorporation of robots into daily Japanese life.