Japan, renowned for crafting robots and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools, has established a long-standing reputation for producing dependable and esteemed electronic products spanning decades.

According to Manuela Veloso, the head of AI research at JPMorgan Chase, Japanese robotics still generates “extraordinary documents” and is exceedingly conspicuous in the research sector.

One of Japan’s greatest strengths in the realm of robotics is its profound admiration for machines, as the country has a rich history of believing that objects, locations, and creatures possess a spiritual essence.

“Since many Japanese people believe that everything has a soul, why not robots?” stated Minoru Asada.

As early adopters, Japan began developing industrial robots in 1960, with many large companies entering the industry in 1980, ultimately leading Japan to become known as a “robot superpower,” as Yasuyoshi Yokokohji, a mechanical engineer at Kobe University, stated.

Subsequently, Japan turned its attention to humanoid robots, which became popularized with the unveiling of Honda’s Asimo in 2000. “While no one else was manufacturing robots at the time, Japan was producing them,” Veloso remarked.

However, in 2010, Japan began to fall behind Boston Dynamics, a robotics company based in Massachusetts that developed humanoid robots, as well as Universal Robots, a company situated in Odense, Denmark.

Moreover, these robots had user-friendly programming interfaces and more adaptable applications. “By comparison, the programming interfaces developed by Japanese robotics companies were only for experts,” according to Akihiko Yamaguchi, the director and founder of FingerVision, a robotics startup located in Tokyo, China.

Nevertheless, the emergence of technology and the introduction of AI in 2012 altered the entire world. AI technologies such as deep learning and neural networks are currently utilized around the world, with AI research requiring “massive computers and vast quantities of data,” as Ishiguro noted.

Japan’s Pursuit of Innovation A surge of inventions brought about by Japanese researchers has been integrated into robotics, where Advanced AI technologies have been implemented. Asada argues that AI and robotics cannot be viewed as distinct entities. With sweeping changes taking place, we must accept them. However, the Japanese robotics field faces the obstacle of language, as many experts are not well-versed in English.

According to Woodrow Hartzog, a specialist in technology law at Boston University in Massachusetts, this is problematic because much of the excellent research in Japan is written in Japanese. Furthermore, robotics labs in Japan are focused on creating robots for the sake of it, rather than considering their practical applications, as Yokokohji has pointed out.

While this is a commendable starting point, the country still lacks a cohesive, long-term strategy for promoting robotics research, which necessitates continuous support for Japanese Robotics experts to develop their strengths on an international scale, as Asada suggests. Additionally, Japan is still a leader in developing intricate mechanical components, whereas digital work is the focus of many researchers around the world.

Japan has the potential to lead in bridging the gap between hardware and software, paving the way for sophisticated, human-like robots and other interactive gadgets. However, the key to this is how users can leverage their cultural backgrounds to create new possibilities for robots, as Ishiguro has pointed out. He also believes that such a challenge is advantageous for the Japanese people.

Nowadays, it is essential to have a computer for work that involves technical aspects of any kind. Compared to a whole system, a laptop is more portable and can be used anywhere. As inflation rises and new taxes are introduced every week, laptops are becoming increasingly costly, especially in Pakistan. When you have a small budget, it’s difficult to find a good laptop, and if you’re really tight on cash, I recommend choosing PCs instead of laptops.

We have compiled a list of affordable laptops under Rs150k. You are sure to find the laptop you are looking for among these.

Acer Aspire 3

Acer Aspire 3

The Acer Aspire 3 laptops are seen in the lower to mid-range segment, despite Acer’s reputation for high-spec gaming laptops. These laptops are especially useful for studying, watching movies, surfing the internet, and even using Photoshop. It features an Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB RAM, allowing you to multitask with basic programs like Microsoft Office. There is an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage on these laptops. The Acer runs whatever you can run on the laptop without slowing down even when there are multiple programs running simultaneously.

Dell Inspiron 15

Dell Inspiron 15

This Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3511) has 4GB of RAM, 128GB of solid-state storage, and an Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor. The graphics and memory are not up to a decent laptop’s standards, but the processor is still a step above another cheap laptop’s Celeron CPU.

Dell Vostro 15 3510

Dell Vostro 15 3510

This Vostro 15 3510 is made entirely of plastic, which is not surprising considering the majority of Vostro models are plastic-bodied. There are a lot of processor options available with this notebook. There are Celeron 6305s, Pentium 7505s, Core i3-1005G1s, Core i5-1035G1s, Core i3-1115G4s, Core i3-1125G4s, Core i5-1135G7s, and Core i7-1165G7s that you can choose from, and the more expensive the processor that you choose, the more expensive it will be. This laptop comes with a strong battery and a 41Wh battery that will last for 7 hours and 5 minutes when browsing the web, or for 6 hours and 30 minutes when watching videos.

Lenovo Thinkbook 15 G2

Lenovo Thinkbook 15 G2

This Lenovo ThinkBook uses an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor with an Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs integrated graphics unit. It comes with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD, and Lenovo has removed the USB-A port that was hidden behind a flap in the first generation of the ThinkBook 15. However, one of the USB-C ports supports Thunderbolt 4, which allows for a number of expansion options. Also, the separate power connector has been removed, so it can now be charged via a USB-C port. Its display is a 15.6-inch IPS panel that provides a 1920 x 1080 resolution.

HP 15s

Hp 15s

It is a budget-friendly mid-range laptop that offers substantial savings over its competition, making it a great choice for students and office workers who are currently on a tight budget. In the HP 15s, the same Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor powering the 17-inch HP 17 as well as 8GB of RAM, a 256GB solid-state drive, and an Intel Iris Xe graphics card are featured.