Toyota and Panasonic Unveils Robots To Help Visitors At 2020 Olympics - Photos

It’s no secret Japan wants to use the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a platform to flex its tech-induced muscles. Since it was awarded the games six years ago it has repeatedly outlined aims to use technology to achieve various different things such as facial recognition to streamline the entry of athletes, the launch of a robo-taxi service, and even recycling e-waste to create the Olympic medals. Now its efforts include the Tokyo 2020 robot project, which will bring all of its initiatives together under one roof.

The Tokyo 2020 robot project brings together experts like Panasonic and Toyota who unveiled new robots the project’s launch event last week. Toyota unveiled several new robots that it says will be able to assist disabled people attending the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Built by Toyota, the Human Support Robot (HSR) and Delivery Support Robot (DSR) will work together to provide assistance to spectators. HSR is a meter-high machine with a built-in arm for picking up trays and baskets, and the delivery support robot (DSR), functions as a mobile waste bin but carries snacks and other items when ordered via an app on a tablet or smartphone. Officials plan to deploy up to sixteen HSRs and around 10 DSRs, most of them at the Olympic stadium in Tokyo.

The robots are designed to aid visitors, especially those in wheelchairs by carrying food and other goods, guiding people to their seats, and providing event information. panasonic also showed off a power assist suit which works to provide support to the back and hip area so that wearers can perform lifting tasks without fear of injury. Panasonic said it plans to use 20 of the suits at the Olympics to assist in a range of lifting tasks, such as helping visitors with their luggage.

See The World's Cutest Bullet Train Unveiled in Japan

There are two things that will never get old in Japan. Hello Kitty -- Sanrio's adorable mouthless character -- and bullet trains. And now they're coming together.

Japan's Shinkansen train operator, West Japan Railway Co. Ltd announced it will launch a Hello Kitty-themed Shinkansen bullet train on June 30.

Aimed at revitalizing regional communities in western Japan, the trains will make stops at each station between Shin-Osaka and Hakata -- ward in Fukuoka city in western Japan's Fukuoka prefecture.

The company will revamp two 500 series Shinkansen bullet trains, coating them in Hello Kitty designs. The livery will be decorated in pink ribbons and Hello Kitty's signature bow -- a design meant to represent the campaign's goal of connecting travelers with destinations in the regions.

Two of the cars will be transformed into Hello Kitty worlds, featuring excessive and adorable kitty motifs.

The floor, windows, headrests and armrests of Car 2 -- named Kawaii! Room -- will be a passenger car covered in motifs from Hello Kitty and Friends. 

There will also be a photo booth -- featuring a Hello Kitty doll in Shinkansen uniform -- for all your Instagram needs.

Instead of the usual Shinkansen jingle, the train will ring the original Hello Kitty theme tune as it approaches the stations.