Japan’s World Robot Summit posts challenges for teams

Japan is holding a huge robot celebration in 2018 in Tokyo and 2020 in Aichi, Fukushima, hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and industry (METI) and the New Energy Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). This is a commercial robotics Expo and a series of robotics Challenges with the goal of bringing together experts from around the world to advance human focused robotics.

The World Robot Summit website was just launched on March 2, 2017. The results of tenders for standard robot platforms for the competitions are being announced soon and the first trials for competition teams should happen in summer 2017.

There are a total of 8 challenges that fall into 4 categories: Industrial Robotics, Service Robotics, Disaster Robotics and Junior.

Industrial: Assembly Challenge – quick and accurate assembly of model products containing technical components require in assembling industrial products and other goods.

Service: Partner Robot Challenge – setting tasks equivalent to housework and making robots that complete such tasks – utilizing a standard robot platform.

Service: Automation of Retail Work Challenge – making robots to complete tasks eg. shelf stocking and replenishment multiple types of products such as foods, interaction between customers and staffs and cleaning restrooms.

Disaster: Plant Disaster Prevention Challenge – inspecting or maintaining infrastructures based on set standards eg. opening/closing valves and exchanging consumable supplies and searching for disaster victims.

Disaster: Tunnel Disaster Response and Recovery Challenge – collecting information and providing emergency response in case of a tunnel disaster eg. saving lives and removing vehicles from tunnels.

Disaster: Standard Disaster Robotics Challenge – assessing standard performance levels eg. mobility, sensing, information collection, wireless communication, remote control on-site deployment and durability, etc. require in disaster prevention and response.

Junior (aged 19 or younger): School Robot Challenge – making robots to complete tasks that might be useful in a school environment – utilizing a standard robot platform.

Junior (aged 19 or younger): Home Robot Challenge – setting tasks equivalent to housework and making robots that complete such tasks.

The World Robot Summit, Challenge, Expo and Symposiums are looking for potential teams and major sponsors. 

For more information, you can email: Wrs@keieiken.co.jp

Silicon Valley Robotics is an industry association supporting innovation and commercialization of robotics technologies.

Silicon Valley Robotics is an industry association supporting innovation and commercialization of robotics technologies.