Mid-sized Japanese firms are employing ROBOTS

Desperate to overcome Japan's growing shortage of labour, mid-sized firms are planning to buy robots to automate a wide range of tasks. According to a Bank of Japan survey, companies are introducing robots in the hopes of boosting investment by 17.5 percent - the highest level on record. Tasks that will given to the robots include manufacturing, earth-moving and even hotel room service. Desperate to overcome Japan's growing shortage of labour, mid-sized firms are planning to buy robots to automate a wide range of tasks Kawasaki Heavy Industries says its two-armed, 170-centimetre tall robot is selling well because it can be adapted to a range of industrial uses by electronics makers, food processors and drug companies. Hitachi Construction Machinery says it is also getting a lot of enquiries for its computer-programmed digging machines.