Toyota president: Robotics will be a core business

President and CEO of Toyota Motor Co. Katsuaki Watanabe told reporters at an event in Tokyo that the company plans to focus on robots that will be useful to people in everyday life.

The first of these robots will roll out as a test in 2008, with the company putting out so-called "partner robots" for public use by 2010. The company sees its work as a extension of its automotive business, where robots already play a large part in manufacturing.

While a little behind its industry competitors in Japan, these plans are nevertheless a first step for Toyota. Honda has been developing its "Asimo" robot since 2000, and has been working on robots overall since 1986.

At the event, the star of the show was a robot capable of playing a violin. It played a version of "Pomp and Circumstance" for onlookers that -- while a bit uninspired -- was not too far off from what a beginning violin player would be able to manage.

Watanabe envisions a future where Toyota's robots will be able to provide service and aid to those in need. Possible solutions range from mobility robots that transport the disabled, to medical and construction assistants. Toyota even plans to put its robots to use in its own facilities over the next few years.