Robots with a decidedly human touch strut their stuff

Almost 300 companies are taking part in the International Robot Exhibition, or IREX 2011, in Tokyo this week. And as in years past, the companies displayed their latest strides in making robots that acted more and more humanoid.

In this image, a Nippon Dental University Hospital staff member demonstrates a humanoid robot dental therapy simulator named Simroid. The robot, which was developed by Japanese robot venture Kokoro, is made for dentists and students, and has sensors in its mouth that trigger the sound 'Ouch' when the dentist gives the wrong treatment .

A master-slave remote-control robot system. The robot, by Kyokko Electric, features an operator wearing a 3D head mounted display and flexible data gloves to operate a humanoid robot.

Honda employee and the company's humanoid robot 'Asimo' exchange bows during a demonstration of the robot's new functions. The new Asimo can move without being controlled by an operator.

Space mavens will immediately recognize this guy: NASA's Robonaut 2 -- the first dexterous humanoid robot in. This shot was beamed down from the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station Nov. 4, 2011. NASA astronaut Mike Fossum, Expedition 29 commander; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa (both out of frame), spent several hours in Destiny checking out and operating R2.

Kawada Industries' Nextage assembly bots

Honda

A robotic arm, being developed with Honda Motor Co.'s human-shaped robot Asimo technology, tries to open a valve. Some of Asimo's technology was used to develop a robotic arm in just six months with the intention of helping with the nuclear crisis in northeastern Japan. The mechanical arm can open and close valves at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which went into meltdown after the March tsunami, according to Honda.

It ranks among Japan

Fanuc

University of Tsukuba professor Yoshiyuki Sankai wears a robot suit entitled HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb), with a 60kg anti radiation jacket. The Hal robot suits detect signals from the brain to assist in the wearer's movement, and were developed for disabled and handicapped people.

R2D2, eat your heart out. This robot, from Kyokko Electric, features an operator wearing a 3D head mounted display and flexible data gloves to operate a humanoid robot.