Shadowing Practice: Innovation Japan: Making Industrial Robots Intelligent To Improve Productivity - Learn English Speaking with Video
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22 sentences
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Industrial robots are an important means to increase productivity within a limited labor force.
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However, installing picking robots in the distribution
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and logistics industry has been considered impossible since the robots need to handle a diverse and wide array of items.
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But one Japanese company is overturning the conventional norms about industrial robots.
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So our main product is called the Mujin controller.
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Some of the core technologies in the Mujin controller are for example motion planning.
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It's about simulating the type of motion that a robot can do and considering many millions of steps ahead into the future.
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Conventional robots required programming by which humans provide detailed instructions regarding the specific timing and the angles that each joint must move.
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This task accounts for over 80 % of the time and cost spent on installation.
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However, the intelligent robot controller allows robots to independently calculate the optimal trajectory from the start point to the final destination.
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A year of taking and to create a system and to just less than a month, even a week at some times.
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This controller can automate picking processes for various items in a distribution network, which has been considered impossible.
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This is a groundbreaking robotic solution.
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To handle a diverse array of items, a conventional robot had to be taught an astronomical number of tasks for each different object.
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A robot made intelligent with this controller can start picking immediately after recognizing the product's shape, pattern, and design by itself.
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By installing four robots synced to our automated warehouse, we completely automated case picking, which involves handling various kinds of objects.
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This change shifted demanding strenuous labor from people to robots, streamlined processes, and boosted productivity to make a people -friendly distribution warehouse.
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This controller, which is versatile and compatible, allows almost all robots to be utilized at sites and business sectors that were formerly considered unrealistic.
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The controller is dramatically changing manufacturing and distribution sites in Japan and overseas.
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And what we want to do by automating manual picking is to make that part more efficient, reduce the costs, increase the quality of services,
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and at the same time allow people to do more creative tasks, which we believe is going to increase the quality of life.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 22 sentences and 375 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:02. The speaker talks at a steady 124 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 73% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| robot noun | /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/ | An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal. |
| controller noun | /kənˈtɹoʊlɚ/ | One who controls something. |
| conventional adjective | /kənˈvɛnʃənl̩/ | Pertaining to a convention, as in following generally accepted principles, methods and behaviour. |
| intelligent adjective | /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/ | Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright. |
| diverse adjective | /daɪˈvɜːs/ | Consisting of different elements; various. |
| productivity noun | /ˌpɹɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/ | The state of being productive, fertile, or efficient. |
| install verb | /ɪnˈstɔl/ | To connect, set up or prepare something for use |
| array noun | /əˈɹeɪ/ | Clothing and ornamentation; raiment. |
| warehouse noun | /ˈwɛə(ɹ)haʊs/ | A facility for storing large amounts of merchandise or products. |
| efficient adjective | /ɪˈfɪʃənt/ | Making good, thorough, or careful use of resources; not consuming extra. Especially, making good use of time or energy. |
| boost verb | /buːst/ | To lift or push from behind (one who is endeavoring to climb); to push up. |
| angle noun | /ˈæŋ.ɡəl/ | A figure formed by two rays which start from a common point (a plane angle) or by three planes that intersect (a solid angle). |
| manual noun | /ˈmæn.j(u)əl/ | Synonym of handbook. |
| overseas adverb | /ˌoʊvɚˈsiːz/ | Abroad. |
| involve verb | /ɪnˈvɑlv/ | To have (something) as a component or a related part; to comprise, to include. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | has been considered · is called · be taught |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has been considered |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | network, which has · controller, which is |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: conventional /kənˈvɛnʃənl̩/, efficient /ɪˈfɪʃənt/, destination /dɛstɪˈneɪʃən/, installation /ˌɪn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: intelligent /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/, productivity /ˌpɹɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/, destination /dɛstɪˈneɪʃən/, installation /ˌɪn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən/, independently /ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəntli/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like robot, controller, conventional.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.