Mission Statement). The first thought in my mind after reading about the HAL-5 was, “If I wear this, I
could walk and be just as able-bodied as everyone else. My weak muscles would no longer be a problem,
and I would finally be stable enough to walk. My life would be perfect.” However, as of now, the HAL-5 is
still in the testing stages, and is not yet safe for commercial use.

The more and more I began to research these robots and the companies making them, I noticed one
common thread between all of them. I noticed that all of the chief engineers designing, building, and
coding these robots were not disabled. While it is important that these robots are being developed in Japan,
I would have thought it would be common sense to have a disabled person’s input on the technology being
built to assist them. This common thread is what started me down my current path, the path that will allow
me to live my life to the fullest. I know what it is like to have your life changed by a disability, to not be
able to do most simple tasks on your own, and most of all what the physically disabled need help with the
most in order to be independent. I want to be part of the team that produces these robots; I want to create
the robots that will allow millions of disabled people live successful and independent lives without being
hindered by their disability. I want to help disabled people level the playing field.

At first, even my dad was unsure if I could live independently, he thought I depended on him too
much to be successful. We often got into heated debates as to whether or not it would be plausible. It used
to be the case that I would be defeated in these debates, and not know how to answer his questions, but now
armed with my new knowledge of Japanese robots, I could finally fight back. “Well son, how would do
simple things such as clean, make your bed or even change light bulbs?” I responded, “Dad that’s ASIMO’s
job.” He then proceeded to ask me about cooking to which I responded with the Motoman SDA10, a robot
that is designed to be a personal chef (Daly). With robots by my side, I could finally convince my dad it
will be plausible for me to live alone.

The language barrier was the only problem standing in my way of reaching my newfound goal. All
the robots that would help me live an unhindered life are being developed by Japanese companies. I needed
to learn Japanese in order to be truly successful. Thus, I began asking Taisei for help, and while I was
helping him with English, he was helping me more and more with my Japanese, and gradually I began to
fall in love with the beauty of the language and the complexity of the Kanji. Now, I am a Computer Science
major and Japanese minor at Stony Brook University ready to program robots in Japan that will help the
disabled live normal lives. If it weren’t for Taisei and the Japanese companies developing things such as the
SDA10, ASIMO, and the HAL-5, I would be destined to feed off my family. However, now the world is my
oyster, and it is only appropriate that I quote the band the Styx and say, “Doumo Arigatou Mr. Robotto,”
Thank you Mr. Robot, for allowing me to live freely.

Bibliography Abe, Shinzo, “Innovation 25.” 26 Feb 2007. Web. 1 Dec 2010.

Daly, Ian. “Just Like Mombot Used to Make.” New York Times. New York Times. 23 Feb 2010. Web. 1
Dec 2010.

Hirose, Masato and Kenichi Ogawa. “Honda Humanoid Robots Development.” Philosophical Transactions
Of The Royal Society A 365 (2007): 11-19. Print.

Normile, Dennis. “Japan Picks Up the Innovation Mantra.” Science 316 (2007): 128. Print.

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