The Front Line of “Physical AI” Transforming Logistics, Hospitals and Housework: The Challenge of 14 Japanese Companies Supported by AWS (ASCII)

AWS Japan is running the Physical AI Development Support Program, providing technical assistance and substantial credits to promote the practical implementation of physical AI, which the Japanese government has identified as a priority area. At the results presentation event, 14 of the 51 companies selected for the program presented their initiatives and achievements.

The presenting companies included startups such as Atom, Omron Syntix and ZEALS, which demonstrated working equipment and verification results across a range of fields, including humanoid and quadruped robots and the use of on-site data. The presentations included a demonstration of D1, a small humanoid robot, a project aimed at automating logistics, and initiatives to enhance the collection of on-site data.

The program’s features include AWS credits worth a total of approximately $6 million, matching with manufacturers and community building. Shirahata Akihiko (白幡晶彦) emphasized the opportunity to combine Japan’s strengths in robotics with generative AI, saying that he had experienced the importance of three elements: on-site capabilities, speed and the use of cloud technology.

The initiative is positioned as a series of verifications aimed at strengthening the domestic industrial competitiveness of the robotics sector. Following approximately six months of support, each company is building up concrete verification results. Further expansion of data pipelines and faster deployment in the field are expected going forward.

The 14 companies featured in this article included Atom, Omron Syntix, ZEALS, Daifuku/JDSC, Takenaka Corporation, Telexistence, Nomura Research Institute/Highlanders/FastLabel, Highlanders, MW, Mercari and Ricoh, among others (selected companies, listed alphabetically). Each company demonstrated its achievements through working-equipment demonstrations and simulations.