The names of 4 companies providing the “eyes” and “joints” that operate the physical world have emerged as part of the government-backed push to promote “physical AI” on a ¥10.5 trillion scale. Attention is focusing on companies other than FANUC and Yaskawa Electric.
The government has positioned physical AI as a key technology in its growth strategy, with the market expected to expand through fiscal 2040 as adoption spreads from the 2030s onward. The theme is also spreading to Japanese equities as an investment opportunity, with technologies that enable AI to operate in the physical world attracting attention.
KEYENCE provides the “eyes,” reading information from the physical world through a range of products including sensors, image-processing systems and measuring instruments for factory automation. Cameras and sensors detect the presence, distance and position of objects, providing the foundation on which AI and control equipment make decisions and set tasks in motion.
Nabtesco provides the “joints,” with high-rigidity precision reducers known as RV reducers as one of its strengths. They support powerful movements such as those of the shoulders and arms of large robots, while their role differs from that of Harmonic Drive Systems, a distinction that is cited as a key feature.
THK provides the “skeleton,” developing linear-motion machinery components centered on LM Guides. These structural components support machine movements with high precision and are widely used in machine tools, robots and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
DMG MORI is cited as a company providing the “workplace,” promoting automation and the realization of smart factories as one of the world’s leading machine-tool manufacturers. Centered on high-precision machining systems, it supports the automation of production sites through coordination with AI and robots.