S/ Humanoid robot / I am D1. I am a robot designed to work alongside people.

On August 5, a domestically produced humanoid robot was unveiled in Tokyo.

The robot is intended for use in places such as hospitals, factories and other workplaces facing labor shortages.

To allow it to move easily in indoor environments in Japan, the machine was designed to be compact, with a minimum height of 129 centimeters and a width of 48 centimeters.

The robot is equipped with high-performance sensors in its arms to help prevent injury if it comes into contact with people.

It also uses a wheeled base instead of two legs to avoid falling over.

While the United States and China currently lead the market in humanoid robotics, the company behind the project explained that it insisted on domestic production to create a form suited to Japanese workplaces, with a view to collect operational data and expand the robot’s capabilities.

S/ Shimizu Masahiro, ZEALS CEO / We want to make this a robot that is safe and helps people. We will continue evolving D1 into a robot that truly assists workplaces struggling with labor shortages.

Sales began on August 5, with the robot’s base price starting at 5 million yen, or roughly 31,500 dollars.