Forpheus is OMRON’s latest technology embodying the concept of «a future of integration between people and machines.»
FORPHEUS is State-of-the-art technology that embodies the world of «harmony» where machines can bring out human ability. You can experience the future of mankind and machines that OMRON aims through a rally.
The name FORPHEUS comes from «Future OMRON Robotics technology for Exploring Possibility of Harmonized aUtomation with Sinic theoretics». A coined term embodying OMRON’s robot technologies based on its unique future prediction theory «SINIC theoretics». It is also a combination of «For» and «ORPHEUS (a bard in Greek mythology as a symbol of human creativity)», representing OMRON’s attitude of bringing out human creativity and possibility.
OMRON assumes three stages, from the past to the future, in a relationship between humans and machines. The 1st stage is one of «replacement» by machines of tasks that need not be done by human. The OMRON history mirrors this history, as we introduced factory automation, automated ticket gates, and other inventions.
The 2nd stage is «collaboration» between humans and machines, which is currently progressing in the world. An example of this is a production line where humans and robots work together, each performing the most suitable task to increase productivity. Another example is the OMRON collision-prevention technology that supports our vision of a collision-free mobile society.
And now, the relationship is reaching to the 3rd stage, «harmony» between humans and machines, that extends human capabilities. As machines become a more integral part of society, humans will enjoy machine support in a number of new and different ways that extend the potential of human capabilities. As with FORPHEUS, machines will emerge in every domain that can bring out human capabilities and possibilities.
FORPHEUS keeps evolving with the state-of-the-art technologies as a symbol of a relationship between mankind and machines in the future.
«SINIC theoretics» is an epochal future prediction theory proposed by Kazuma Tateisi, the founder of OMRON, that accurately predicted social scenarios till the first half of the 21st century such as an advent of an information society. Since its announcement in 1970, it has been a compass of OMRON’s management and the concept of FORPHEUS symbolizing the future man-machine relationship is invented by the theoretics.
SINIC stands for «Seed-Innovation to Need-Impetus Cyclic Evolution». «SINIC theoretics» assumes a circular relationship among «science», «technology», and «society» which mutually affect. A new science generates a new technology that gives an impact on a society and works as an engine to change the society. And a social need urges development of a new technology that generates a new science. They affect one another, contributing to a future society. That’s what the theoretics says. It defines a society in the 1st half of 21st century as an «autonomous society» in an ideal harmony of mankind and machines, attaching importance to human life style and self-realization, instead of pursuit of productivity and efficiency. It predicts that mankind then will place much value on more essential desires including a healthy and happy long life as well as comfortable living.