Read from bloomberg and dualshockers:
The 70-year-old inventor of the PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi has assumed the role of chief executive officer at Ascent Robotics Inc., a artificial intelligence startup in Tokyo, Japan.
“The Covid-19 outbreak has turned the old argument about robots taking our jobs on its head,” said Kutaragi. Although sparse on details on how he would accomplish integrating AI-driven robots into workplaces, Kutaragi did reveal that to accomplish this, partnerships between other companies would be essential.
The industry veteran is vague about how he plans to accomplish this, other than to say partnerships will be key to moving forward. Ascent has worked with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. on a robotic arm that can pick parts out of a jumble using a single camera as input. It’s also developing autonomous driving software in collaboration with an unnamed Japanese carmaker. The company uses a combination of data from sensor-studded Lexus hybrids cruising Tokyo’s streets and a simulations where the algorithms are trained to handle so-called edge-case scenarios.
“If you are looking to combine robotics and mobility, you need someone in charge who understands technology,” Kutaragi said. “We are thinking globally, not limiting our sights to Japan.”
Kutaragi has a track record of solving difficult technical and business problems. He started his career at Sony in the 70s, working on some of the electronics giant’s most successful projects including liquid crystal displays and digital cameras. In the 90s, he revolutionized video gaming by pioneering the loss-leader model of spending billions on developing cutting-edge hardware and then recouping costs through content licensing deals. Kutaragi also demonstrated a keen sense of technology trends, famously shipping the PlayStation 2 with a DVD player and spurring the adoption of the new laser disc technology.
“If we don’t do it, someone else out there will,” Kutaragi said. “Management is tough, but that’s how it was with PlayStation too. It’s something I’m good at.”
The 70-year-old inventor of the PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi has assumed the role of chief executive officer at Ascent Robotics Inc., a artificial intelligence startup in Tokyo, Japan.
“The Covid-19 outbreak has turned the old argument about robots taking our jobs on its head,” said Kutaragi. Although sparse on details on how he would accomplish integrating AI-driven robots into workplaces, Kutaragi did reveal that to accomplish this, partnerships between other companies would be essential.
The industry veteran is vague about how he plans to accomplish this, other than to say partnerships will be key to moving forward. Ascent has worked with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. on a robotic arm that can pick parts out of a jumble using a single camera as input. It’s also developing autonomous driving software in collaboration with an unnamed Japanese carmaker. The company uses a combination of data from sensor-studded Lexus hybrids cruising Tokyo’s streets and a simulations where the algorithms are trained to handle so-called edge-case scenarios.
“If you are looking to combine robotics and mobility, you need someone in charge who understands technology,” Kutaragi said. “We are thinking globally, not limiting our sights to Japan.”
Kutaragi has a track record of solving difficult technical and business problems. He started his career at Sony in the 70s, working on some of the electronics giant’s most successful projects including liquid crystal displays and digital cameras. In the 90s, he revolutionized video gaming by pioneering the loss-leader model of spending billions on developing cutting-edge hardware and then recouping costs through content licensing deals. Kutaragi also demonstrated a keen sense of technology trends, famously shipping the PlayStation 2 with a DVD player and spurring the adoption of the new laser disc technology.
“If we don’t do it, someone else out there will,” Kutaragi said. “Management is tough, but that’s how it was with PlayStation too. It’s something I’m good at.”
