Toyota Motor Corporation and Preferred Networks, Inc. (PFN) have agreed to engage in joint research and development on Toyota’s Human Support Robot (HSR) robotics platform. The two companies aim to develop service robots that cater to market needs at the earliest opportunity.

In recent years, the scope of robot activity has expanded from industrial use to medical care and logistics. However, there remain many technological issues in the field of service robots, which are required to integrate into individuals’ lives and make decisions and respond appropriately to various situations.

By combining their respective technologies and know-how, Toyota and PFN intend to develop service robots capable of learning in typical living environments and executing a variety of tasks.

Specifically, Toyota will first loan several dozen HSRs to PFN; over the following three years, the two companies will then collaborate in research and development. Toyota and PFN will share their respective development information and technologies, including existing intellectual property. The two companies will also be free to use the results of their joint research as they see fit. In this way, Toyota and PFN seek to accelerate development aimed at the practical realization of service robots.