The government has announced plans to launch a project to foster the robot industry, viewed as a possible dynamo for economic growth, with subsidies and related legislative measures in fiscal 2002.
The "Robot Challenge in the 21st Century" project will be the first of its kind by the government to directly extend subsidies to businesses involved in robot development, officials at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said.
The project will cover not only animal-shaped entertainment robots already on the market, but also those designed for nursing care for the elderly and for rescue operations in the event of natural disasters, they said.