Kawasaki Heavy Industries President Yasuhiko Hashimoto poses with a prototype of the company's dog-like robot, Home Leo, in Tokyo on Tuesday. Kawasaki Heavy Industries has unveiled a prototype of a dog-shaped social robot that helps older people with life at home. Leveraging physical artificial intelligence, the robot, Home Leo, can talk to people, recognize its surroundings, make appropriate decisions according to the situation and act autonomously, according to the Japanese firm. Home Leo was presented at a business briefing the company held in Tokyo on Tuesday. The robot will stay close to the older people it lives with, offering companionship through conversation, watching over them and assisting with their daily activities, Kawasaki Heavy said.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is collaborating with companies including Nvidia to integrate AI and robotics, and last month announced a development hub in Silicon Valley. Kawasaki Heavy Industries is finalizing plans to raise about ¥200 billion ($1.23 billion) by issuing new shares and convertible bonds to fund capital expenditure, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The company will decide on the details of the issuance as soon as this week, the sources said. The shares and convertible bonds will be sold mainly to overseas institutional investors, one of the sources said. The plan to raise funds has not been reported earlier. Kawasaki Heavy said in a statement that it is considering various capital strategies including issuing new shares and bonds but that nothing has been decided.

Tech expert Kurt Knutsson discusses how robots can milk, feed and clean cows on dairy farms, boosting efficiency and comfort. Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia Corp., gives a talk in Taipei, Taiwan. MADE IN AMERICA: Nvidia on Monday announced plans to manufacture its artificial intelligence supercomputers entirely in the U.S. for the first time. RIDEABLE 4-LEGGED ROOT: Kawasaki Heavy Industries has introduced something that feels straight out of a video game: CORLEO, a hydrogen-powered, four-legged robot prototype designed to be ridden by humans. JOB-KILLER ROBOT: This semi-humanoid robot combines advanced manipulation capabilities with intelligent delivery features, making it a significant innovation in the service robotics sector.

Kawasaki's CORLEO is a hydrogen-powered, AI-driven rideable robot. Kawasaki Heavy Industries has introduced something that feels straight out of a video game: CORLEO, a hydrogen-powered, four-legged robot prototype designed to be ridden by humans. Unveiled at the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025, this futuristic machine is built to handle rugged terrain with ease, combining cutting-edge robotics and sustainable energy. Let's take a closer look at what makes CORLEO so cutting-edge. GET SECURITY ALERTS & EXPERT TECH TIPS – SIGN UP FOR KURT'S'THE CYBERGUY REPORT' NOW Instead of wheels, it has four robotic legs that move independently, allowing it to handle uneven ground like rocks, grass and steep inclines.

Japan's obsessed with automation -- not because it's novel, but because there just aren't enough people. More small and medium-sized companies are buying robots to make up for a labour shortfall, reports Reuters, and robot manufacturers are seeing more orders coming in. SEE ALSO: The inevitable robot takeover is here, and it's starting at the mall The shortfall is due to a huge labour crunch in the country -- companies with staff ranging from 100 to 499 workers advertised to fill 1.1 million new positions last year, according to data from Japan's Labour Ministry. To meet that shortfall, companies are investing more to increase efficiency, according to officials. A Bank of Japan survey found that mid-sized companies are planning to boost investment in capital by 17.5 percent, though it is unclear how much will be spent on automation.