PlayStation Inventor Starts New Career Making Robots For No Pay

Ken Kutaragi, the legendary inventor of the PlayStation gaming console, is taking on one of the hardest jobs in robotics. Kutaragi, 70, wants to make affordable robots that can safely move around and do physical work alongside humans in factories and logistics centers, and aims to have a working prototype in about a year. “The Covid-19 outbreak has turned the old argument about robots taking our jobs on its head,” Kutaragi said in his first interview since taking the helm in August. “If you are looking to combine robotics and mobility, you need someone in charge who understands technology,” Kutaragi said. Kutaragi also demonstrated a keen sense of technology trends, famously shipping the PlayStation 2 with a DVD player and spurring the adoption of the new laser disc technology. Kutaragi has served as Ascent’s outside board director since 2018 and took over the CEO post on Aug. 26. Masayuki Ishizaki, who preceded Kutaragi as CEO, has become the company’s chief operating officer.