I'm back from Osaka with plenty to share about the futuristic tech I saw. Yep, from a robotic personal vehicle to iPS-generated organs, this article will give you a taste of what life will be like in 2025.
I’m a planner. But when I entered the exhibition grounds at Expo 2025 in Osaka last week, there were a couple of things I hadn’t counted on. First was the heat. I’m used to hot weather, but 100-degree temperatures plus humidity made for a completely new clime; a very sweaty one! Another surprise? The futuristic tech at Expo 2025. I knew there would be concepts and sustainable innovations, but I didn’t expect to feel so inspired by them.
Related: 3 Things I didn’t expect to see at Expo 2025 in Osaka
And I was inspired. Expo 2025, set on 383-acres, with pavilions representing over 150 countries and organizations, has plenty to gawk at. But what actually stopped me in my tracks were the exhibits’ interpretations of life in the future. There was Kawasaki’s CORLEO, a personal vehicle that people can ride like a horse. Then, there was an ocean-based hydrogen power balloon that generates power from crashing waves. Altogether, the expo was like looking through a window at the world in 2050, and it gave me hope.
The World Expo has always been a showcase of solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. In 2025, that’s an emphasis on sustainable living, mobility, and health. As an editor, I was happy these ideas took center stage, and it’s why I’m sharing some of my favorite futuristic innovations from Expo 2025.
1. Kawasaki CORLEO
By 2025, our personal mobility needs will have changed drastically, according to the Kawasaki Group, experts in motorcycle and robotic technology. Hence, it created the 2025 concept off-road personal mobility vehicle, CORLEO. This lion-like, four-legged vehicle is on display at Expo 2025. It handles rough terrain, remains stable, and offers substantial control. Interestingly, riders control the vehicle via weight shifts, like horseback riding. So, there are no complex commands to remember, keeping the ride intuitive.
CORLEO also runs on hydrogen, a key solution to a decarbonized society. Kawaski envisions the vehicle as a means of navigating difficult terrain such as mountains and even bodies of water. Seeing CORLEO sprint through valleys and scale mountains is otherworldly.
2. Kubota Type V and Type S Autonomous Tractors
Japanese tractor company Kubota wowed Expo 2025 visitors with its conceptual Type V and Type S autonomous tractors. That’s right, I said autonomous. Shaped like giant robot lawnmowers, these concept tractors are actually robotic platforms that can complete all tasks in the agricultural progress.
How? They work with various implements and attachments and can be operated remotely. In 2050, farmers might only need one tractor to cover all their tasks. With the increasing shortage of farm labor and the rise of eco-conscious farming, tractors like Type V and Type S will be essential. Type V’s body is a bit like a transformer. It can expand and contract from side to side, up and down, and forward and backward, adapting to tasks as needed.
3. Honda UNI-ONE
Another cool mobility device on display at Expo 2025 is the Honda UNI-ONE. This seated personal mobility vehicle developed by Honda’s robotics research team gives people more mobility options. Like the CORLEO, the user steers it by shifting their weight while sitting. This keeps the hands free to move naturally, like when walking. The design is stable, so it’s great for adults as well as kids.
My favorite feature is the adjustable height! Yes, this mobility device lowers and rises. The UNI-ONE starts in its lowest position, so the the rider can get on easily. Then, it lifts until the rider is at eye level with people passing buy. This makes communicating with others easier. Let’s give it up for accessibility tech that improves people’s lives and gives them more options!
4. Luup Unimo
As populations age and longevity improves, seniors will need new ways to move around. That’s where the Unimo a three-wheeled, compact personal vehicle comes in. Unlike today’s electric scooters and bikes, the Luup Unimo stays stable while moving and at rest, making it suitable for all ages and sexes.
I was happy to learn that it has on-board stability control and can adapt to different driving conditions. As someone who’s a little frightened to drive electric vehicles on busy city streets, I’d welcome more autonomous help, and I wager, so would retirees. Users can also control it via app or server and it supports street use.
5. MIXI Romi Emotional Support Robot
I’ve seen a lot of emotional support robots over the years, but none as cute as MIXI’S Romi. Its raindrop-shaped, toy-like body and digital expressions (over 150 of ’em) are endearing. Unlike most conversation robots, Romi uses the latest AI to keep conversations going, letting you have a natural back and forth. It even expresses surprise when you pick it up and has a warm, caring style; I’d love to have one on my desk!
It’s said that free-chatting is one of the most difficult skills for AI to achieve. Romi has made incredible progress in the field thanks to it’s built-in communication AI. It creates conversations depending on the user’s feelings. The on-board AI can also store and retrieve memories that can help Romi respond to current situation. For example, Romi could remember that I like to talk about gardening and engage me in a conversation about roses, to keep me feeling chipper. It’s a great tool that has a ton of potential for anyone living on their own.
6. Yellow Duck Power Wave DAC
Image a future where we collect and store hydrogen from the ocean. It sounds so 2025, but that’s exactly what the team at Yellow Duck are aiming for. How does Yellow Duck’s technology work? An offshore system that produces electricity from wave motion to power a DAC system. This system can remove CO2 from the atmosphere and an electrolysis process produces hydrogen from seawater. That’s exciting stuff.
In a world facing both climate change and biodiversity loss, Yellow Duck’s technology has the potential to reduce carbon emissions, support marine ecosystems, and provide clean energy to remote and coastal areas. I love the prototype design: an inflatable yellow duck keeps the device afloat and visible to ships! In the future, perhaps the ocean can generate power for us, via fun inflatables!
7. I Peace ECG iPS generated organs
One of my kids has an organ defect, so the iPS technology on display at Expo 2025 was especially important to me. I Peace has created an iPS cell manufacturing system that can create body cells made from iPS cells. The cutting edge technology was first unveiled at Expo 2025, Osaka. The new mass-manufacturing and automated system combines iPS cell manufacturing and cell differentiation.
The company believes that, by 2050, people will be able to have their cells and organs rejuvenate using their own iPS cells. It’s an incredibly exciting development in health care technology, and I was lucky enough to see it up close. Myocardial sheets that expand and contract (just like heart cells) can be added to a weakened heart during a transplantation process. The sheets induce motion recovery and improve the heart’s function. This has huge implications for a range organ disorders, from urinary tract systems to livers, kidneys, and lungs.
8. IBM AI Smart Suitcase
Developed by Chieko Asakawa, a computer scientist and IBM researcher, the AI Smart Suitcase is packed with GPS navigational tech that can guide visually impaired people to their desired destination. For Chieko, the invention is personal. Herself visually impaired, she often navigates complex airports multiple times a year, as she divides her time between Japan and the US.
She wanted a robot that could help her navigate through crowds and give her more autonomy during travel. And she’s succeeded. Just tell the AI suitcase where you want to go, and it will map out the safest route. Along the way, it helps users avoid obstacles and other dangers. At Expo 2025, I got to see the AI Smart Suitcase in action: people could walk with it (with a company representative) around the exhibition grounds as a demo.
9. Artificial Photosynthesis
In the future, it’ll be crucial to counteract the effects of a warming climate by managing carbon emissions. Artificial Photosynthesis is one way to do that. It imitates plant photosynthesis by producing energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide. In the process, it produces hydrogen and other substances easily and cleanly. Tech I can get behind!
One of the first countries to discover the technology, Japan proudly displays it at Expo 2025 alongside the wellness smart house in the Lida Group x Osaka Metropolitan University pavilion. Several experiments demonstrate how the technology works, including the one pictured above. Visitors must blow into a tube to produce hydrogen to illuminate the panels.
10. Microalgae Technology
For its part, Japan went all in on microalgae technology as part of its interpretation of the Expo’s theme. Algae has a lot of untapped potential, something I only just learned at the Expo. What makes algae so cool, besides their fluorescent green color? For starters, it produces 50 times more protein than beef using the same amount of water. It also absorbs 14 times as much CO2 as a cedar tree, and produces 14 times more oil than sunflower seeds. Biofuel can be manufactured from microalgae.
It’s a pretty powerful little plant. The Japanese Pavilion at Expo 2025 partnered with Chitose Laboratory Corp. (leading innovators of the technology) to create a microalgae-themed exhibition at the expo. Exhibits included an algae curtain, a photobioreactor made with tubes of spirulina algae. It demonstrates how algae might be farmed in the future, in vertical urban algae forests, where they can clean the air and produce food.
That’s a wrap
Well, that’s a wrap on Expo 2025 in Osaka. I’m back at my home office, typing away as usual. What’s different, though, is how I feel about future technology. It was really inspiring to see so many countries and organizations come together to present their ideas and hopes for the future. From quadruped mobility to microalgae technology, I’m optimistic about what tomorrow will bring, and I have the tech at Expo 2025 to thank for it.
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