Wedoany.com Report-Dec.4, Japan is experiencing a growing labour shortage driven by a declining birthrate and ageing population. This has increased demand for automation and labour-saving technologies across various sectors, with AI and robotics playing a central role in meeting these needs.

While industrial robots are widely used in controlled factory settings, environments with high human traffic—such as offices, hospitals, schools, and retail spaces—require robots capable of complex decision-making and flexible responses to unpredictable situations.

To advance robot capabilities in such settings, SoftBank and Yaskawa Electric have formed a strategic partnership focused on Physical AI. This technology enables robots to process data from sensors, cameras, and external systems in real time, interpret surroundings through artificial intelligence, and execute precise, adaptive physical actions.

Announced on December 1, 2025, the collaboration combines Yaskawa Electric's expertise in high-precision robotic control with SoftBank's AI-RAN and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) technologies.

In the initial phase, the companies jointly developed an office-oriented Physical AI robot that integrates with building management systems. By analysing diverse data streams simultaneously, the system allows robots to accurately assess situations and receive optimal task instructions, enabling them to perform a broader range of duties with greater flexibility and multi-skilled functionality.

The demonstration of this use case is being showcased at the 2025 International Robot Exhibition (iREX 2025), held at Tokyo Big Sight from December 3 to 6, 2025, in Yaskawa Electric's main booth.

This partnership represents a significant step toward deploying more intelligent and versatile robots in everyday human environments, helping address Japan's workforce challenges while enhancing operational efficiency in commercial and public facilities.