ver since the word "robot" was coined in 1921, automatons have sometimes amused but more often alarmed us. To show that these mechanical persons were friend instead of foe, an exhibitor at a 1985 Japanese trade show for video games displayed one with oversized anime-style eyes and a puppy-like tilt of the head to suggest it was more Tin Man than Terminator. Japan's comfort level with cyborgs rose accordingly: By 2011, the country had populated its workforce with 295 industrial robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers, more than any other nation, with plans to add millions more by 2025.