The 'Rising Sun' in Hanover

Exoskeletons allow workers to carry larger loads. They also can be used to allow people who are paralyzed to walk again. These employees of Nedo, a Japanese firm, are waiting for Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to walk past their display.

There are lots of robots at this year's Cebit. Japan's engineers have made efforts to make their robots' behavior as seemingly human-like as possible, using artificial intelligence software. This robot recognizes human faces, and treats known "friends" better than strangers. That's an important feature, since in Japan, robots are increasingly put to work in seniors' homes and in hotels.

These robo-cheerleaders are meant to be cute - but just wait until they come for your job... Chock-full of sensors und motors, they perform choreographed routines without error. Japan has the world's second-highest density of industrial robots, with 211 robots per 10,000 human workers. South Korea is in first place. Germany is third with 161 robots per 10,000 organic wage slaves.

One out of three Japanese mothers uses the Nimpu Techu App during pregnancy, according to its maker, Hakuhodo. Health data, questions for doctors, checkup scheduling - it's all coordinated over the smartphone app, which has a historical precedent: the Japanese "mothers' passport," Ninsanpu Techo, which was introduced in 1942. There are also apps to help guide parents through toddler-raising.

With its powerful arms and motors that enable it to carry heavy loads, this made-in-Japan "Prodrone" could easily pick you up and carry you away. (Cue the sci-fi dystopian movie music.) Another version has wheels and can roll along walls or ceilings, checking for cracks. At around 50,000 euros each, they're not cheap, but no worries - they'll get cheaper and more ubiquitous over time.

You're on a business trip, so you have to keep track of your expenses. Aaarrgh. But there's an app for that now. AiWorks, Japan's market leader for such things, lets you simply take a photo of an expense receipt and artificial intelligence software does the rest. AiWorks says Japanese office workers spend 40 percent of their time on basic data entry. Not much longer.

A prediction: Virtual reality environments will soon cause billions of people to leave their humdrum lives behind and enter synthetic experiential worlds. VR equipment-makers like Cerevo are working on whole-body experiential VR tools. Here, a pair of data sandals stimulates the soles of the user's feet, simulating different surfaces like cement, grass, or snow. Next step: whole-body VR suits.

The "Lyric Speaker" is an ordinary loudspeaker coupled to a screen and some software that recognises whatever song is being played, and then displays the lyrics in time with the beat, so you can sing along. Karaoke bars? So yesterday. The whole world can be your karaoke bar. Sing it, homegirl.