Karakuri: the mechanical art bringing value to everyone

Words and their meanings evolve, and it can sometimes be tricky to connect modern usage with original intent. ‘Technology’ is a really good example of this, as the way we use the word today is a world away from its origins of the ‘mechanical arts’. So, to find the two definitions working together harmoniously at Canon Bretagne demonstrates technology at its creative best.

Canon Bretagne, in the west of France, has been producing printer consumables for the best part of forty years. In 1997, its successful cartridge recycling programme was launched, which continues to this day. The same site also functions as a manufacturing subcontractor of industrial and medical equipment.Inside, the facility looks much as you might expect, with hundreds of colleagues working on everything from prototypes and product assembly to quality control and logistics. But amidst the circuit boards and sensors, there can be found a way of working which, while enhanced by neither, is an age-old example of innovative technology in action.

The concept in question is that of ‘karakuri’, and while its origins are over a thousand years old, Canon Bretagne adopted its principles in 2023. Roughly translated, it means ‘machinery’ or ‘trick’, which might sound confusing until you know that the first applications of karakuri were puppets called karakuri ningyo, which were a kind of precursor to today’s animatronics. Except, of course, they were entirely mechanical, astonishing festival and theatregoers of the time as they moved without the help of human hands!

Over time, ‘karakuri came to be applied to all sorts of functional – useful – objects and its beauty lies in simplicity. It uses intentional and clear-thinking design, applying natural forces to solve problems or improve the way that a process works. Think conveyer belts which use gravity rather than electricity to propel heavy boxes, for example. Or simple spring-loaded tools which magnetically grab parts, so that operatives aren’t making damaging repetitive movements.

In a time where technology and automation rely so heavily on chips, software and electricity, karakuri brings us full circle, relying on minimal resources for maximum benefit. This fits naturally into manufacturing environments and is inextricably linked to another Japanese concept – ‘kaizen’ or ‘continuous improvement’, as well as being philosophically adjacent to our own guiding principle of Kyosei – living and working together for the common good.

In the world of Canon Bretagne, these are the fundamentals behind some of the machines they use every day. Each one is designed in-house and is customisable and adjustable to users – but this also means that they can be easily repaired or serviced by the same colleagues, which is ideal in manufacturing when downtime must be kept to a minimum. And nothing is wasted either. When a karakuri-designed machine comes to the end of its useful life? In the very same spirit with which the facility recycles and remanufactures Canon products, it is simply disassembled and its parts reused.

“It’s our challenge to make it simple, like a children’s toy, maintaining our spirit of ingenuity,” explains Alain Boide, Section Manager of CIMS & Improvement Department at Canon Bretagne. “Conventional machines require not only energy to function but also associated security risks and administrative tasks.” And while this alone might seem reason enough to migrate some of the automated process from electronic to mechanical, there are also solid human-centred and ergonomic reasons for introducing karakuri devices.

Indeed, the very same people who use the machines are instrumental in helping to design them. There is a continuous feedback loop between the machine’s operators and designers so that the way they function may be enhanced and perfected, to make them as intuitive and comfortable to use as possible. This is particularly important in reducing the need for repetitive tasks, removing any awkward physical motions and, most importantly, making the machine inclusive and accessible to users of differing physical capabilities.

At its heart, this process falls under a set of principles familiar in the manufacturing industry, known as ‘Lean’. Simply put, Lean teaches you to view the world around you differently. It’s about efficiency and waste reduction, yes, but it guides organisations that this can only come about when we work together and have outcomes where the happiness of people – whether they are customers or colleagues – is the goal.

Adopting karakuri and making it a part of daily working life in Canon Bretagne speaks to the importance of everyone’s voices in the pursuit of innovation. It fosters a respect for the resources we use to get there and an understanding that even seemingly modest refinements to the way things are done can result in substantial impact for everyone. And such values are of the utmost importance, no matter which definition of technology you use.

Learn more about our work at Canon Bretagne.