Yamaha Robotics Company Profile: History, Parent Company and Products
Updated: 7 days ago
Yamaha Robotics is the industrial robot business of Yamaha Motor, the Japanese maker of motorcycles and marine engines. It grew out of robots Yamaha built for its own factories in the 1970s. This profile sets out its history, its parent company and its products.
Yamaha Robotics at a Glance
Fact | Detail |
Business | Robotics Business Unit of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. |
Robot research began | 1974 |
First robot sold | July 1976 |
Office | 127 Toyooka, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan |
Parent headquarters | Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan |
Parent listing | Tokyo Stock Exchange: 7272 |
Parent president | Motofumi Shitara |
History
Yamaha Motor began promoting research into industrial robots in 1974. By 1976 it had developed an engine-assembly robot of its own and was using it in production, and in July of that year it started selling robots to other companies; the first was an arc-welding robot.
Its best-known early machine was CAME, a horizontal multi-jointed assembly robot of the type now called SCARA. The first CAME went to work on a Yamaha motorcycle assembly line in October 1979. An improved version went on commercial sale in September 1983, and the first export followed in February 1984, with orders that year from companies in the United States, Germany and Italy.
Key milestones
1974: Industrial robot research under way.
1976: In-house assembly robot in use; first robot sold outside the company.
1979: CAME SCARA robot used on a motorcycle line.
1983: CAME goes on commercial sale.
1984: First export.
Products
Yamaha Motor lists compact industrial robots and surface mounters, the machines that place components on circuit boards, among its products. The robotics unit sells through a factory automation sales and marketing division based in Hamamatsu.
The Parent Company
Fact | Detail |
Company | Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. |
Founded | July 1, 1955, as a spin-off from the company now called Yamaha Corporation |
Headquarters | Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan |
Revenue | JPY 2.414 trillion in 2023 |
President | Motofumi Shitara, since 2025 |
Chairman | Katsuaki Watanabe |
Robots are a small part of a group whose main products are motorcycles, marine engines and other vehicles.
Can You Invest in Yamaha Robotics?
Only through the parent. Yamaha Motor trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under the code 7272. This is general information, not investment advice.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
Almost fifty years of experience in assembly robots.
Robots developed and proven in the company's own factories.
The resources of a large industrial group.
Challenges
A small business within a company focused on vehicles.
Strong Japanese and Chinese competition in SCARA and small robots.
Current Catalogue Coverage
Catalogue checked on 15 October 2026: 1 associated product records. The links below are representative entries, rather than a claim that every historical model is currently available.
Yamaha Robotics FAQ
Is Yamaha Robotics a separate company?
No. It is the Robotics Business Unit of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
When did Yamaha start making robots?
Research was under way in 1974, and the first robot was sold to an outside customer in July 1976.
What was CAME?
Yamaha's SCARA assembly robot, first used on a motorcycle line in 1979 and sold commercially from 1983.
Where is Yamaha's robotics business based?
In Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
Is Yamaha Motor publicly traded?
Yes, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under the code 7272.
Sources
Yamaha Motor: robot history story
Yamaha Motor: robotics business
Wikipedia: Yamaha Motor Company
