Artificial intelligence
Japan's Shimizu bets on humanoid robots to tackle construction labor crunch
Company eyes fiscal 2030 for robots that can walk around, paint and coat walls
Shimizu is testing out the ability of this robot from China's Unitree to patrol construction sites on foot. (Photo by Kohei Okuyama)
TOKYO -- Japanese general contractor Shimizu plans to introduce AI-powered humanoid robots at its construction sites by around fiscal 2030, aiming to have them handle such work as painting and plastering in a bid to alleviate the industry's severe labor shortages, Nikkei has learned.