During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of industries expanded their production to meet the medical and hygiene needs of ordinary people and medical institutions. For example, the Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) produced a large number of its mechanical arm robots to automate PCR testing. However, as the demand for testing declined, the robots faced redundancy.
Fortunately, 50 of KHI's mechanical arms will find new life at Nagoya University and Gifu University this year. The company has kindly agreed to donate the robots to the THERS universities for use in research and education. They will find new uses in several important research projects and in the education of students and members of the public.
Nagoya University President Naoshi Sugiyama (left), THERS Chancellor Seiichi Matsuo (second from right), Gifu University President Kazuhiro Yoshida (right) and representatives from KHI with one of the robotic arms donated by the company
The robots were formally donated by KHI at a ceremony held at Gifu University on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. The agreement represents a deepening of the cooperative relationship between KHI and THERS as the universities continue to emphasize collaboration with industry to increase research output and accelerate the translation of research into products accessible to the public.