Tokyo 2020 Unveils Games Robots
The Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Tokyo 2020) announced the launch of its new Tokyo 2020 Robot Project - one of programmes aimed at ensuring that these Games will be the most innovative ever and providing visiting fans with an experience they are unlikely to forget.
The Human Support Robot and Delivery Support Robot developed by Toyota Motor Corporation will allow all spectators to enjoy watching the Tokyo 2020 Games in greater comfort. The robots will provide assistance to spectators in wheelchairs at the Olympic Stadium by carrying food and other goods, guiding people to their seats, and providing event information.
Other robots will perform a number of additional duties during the Games, details of which will be announced later. Overall, robot technology will help deliver safer and smoother Games, and while the robots will be deployed only in specific roles during the Games, the project is expected to showcase their potential for wider application in everyday life.
Hirohisa Hirukawa, leader of the Tokyo 2020 Robot Project, commented, “The Tokyo 2020 Games are a unique opportunity for us to display Japanese robot technology. This project will not simply be about exhibiting robots, but also about showcasing their practical real-life deployment helping people. So there will be not only sports at the Tokyo 2020 Games, but also some cool robots at work to look forward to as well.”
The Tokyo 2020 Robot Project brings together experts in the field of robotics, and is supported by Japan's Cabinet Secretariat; the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; the Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry; the Tokyo Metropolitan Government; Panasonic Corporation; Toyota Motor Corporation; and Tokyo 2020.