HOME―News―AIRoA Consolidates R&D and Corporate Functions at Its Heiwajima Facility (Approx. 3,500 m²) -Heiwajima Becomes AIRoA’s Central Base as Activities Expand to Miraikan and Kyoto-

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AIRoA Consolidates R&D and Corporate Functions at Its Heiwajima Facility (Approx. 3,500 m²) -Heiwajima Becomes AIRoA’s Central Base as Activities Expand to Miraikan and Kyoto-

2026-08-04

The AI Robot Association (General Incorporated Association; Location: Ota Ward, Tokyo; Chairman: Tetsuya Ogata; hereafter “AIRoA”) has relocated its principal office from Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, to its primary research and development hub in Heiwajima, Ota Ward, effective June 26, 2026.

The Heiwajima facility has been operating as AIRoA’s primary research and development hub since September 22, 2025, and with this relocation, AIRoA’s principal office is now aligned with the center of its day-to-day operations.

Background of the Relocation

Advancing Physical AI—AI systems that can perceive, reason, and act in the physical world through robots—requires access to large-scale, diverse, real-world robot data, alongside an environment where the models can be continuously trained and validated.

Since September 2025, AIRoA has been advancing its robot data collection, robot foundation model development, and validation using physical robots primarily at its Heiwajima hub. By relocating its principal office to the same location, AIRoA has consolidated both its corporate operations and research activities into a single base, creating an organizational structure that better reflects the center of its actual activities.

Robot Foundation Model Research at the Heiwajima Hub

The Heiwajima hub is AIRoA’s research, development, and robot data collection hub, occupying approximately 3,500 square meters and featuring various mock environments that simulate manufacturing sites, homes, retail stores, and other real-world settings.

Within the facility, AIRoA collects robot action data using multiple robot platforms and data collection methods while conducting both robot foundation model training and real-world validation. By integrating data collection, model development, and evaluation within the same facility, validation results can be rapidly incorporated into subsequent data collection and model improvements.

In FY2025, AIRoA collected approximately 80,000 hours of teleoperated mobile manipulator data and established the data formats and training pipelines required to support large-scale robot learning. Beginning in FY2026, AIRoA will expand its work to include a wider variety of robot platforms and data collection methods, including dual-arm mobile manipulation.

Through collaboration with companies, universities, and research institutions, AIRoA is building a research infrastructure that would otherwise be difficult for any single organization to establish independently. By continuously feeding the data and knowledge generated at the Heiwajima hub back into robot foundation model development, and by making the resulting outcomes available to the broader community, AIRoA seeks to build an open research infrastructure that supports research on Physical AI in Japan.

Future Expansion of AIRoA Activity Hubs

While maintaining Heiwajima as its core hub for research, development, and robot data collection, AIRoA will expand its activities to additional locations, including The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) and Kyoto.

At Miraikan, AIRoA began setting up its activity hub in April 2026 as part of the AI Robot Living Lab project. AIRoA has also decided to establish a Kyoto hub and is currently preparing for its opening.

In addition to research and development, each location is expected to leverage its unique characteristics to support talent development, foster collaboration among researchers and companies in Japan and abroad, and host working groups and other community activities. Further details will be announced in due course.

*A view of the “AI Robot Living Lab” project space*

Message from the Chairman

Tetsuya Ogata
Chairman, AI Robot Association (AIRoA)

Since September 2025, AIRoA has centered its activities at the Heiwajima hub, where we have been collecting robot data, developing robot foundation models, and conducting validation using physical robots.

With the relocation of our principal office to Heiwajima, our registered address is now aligned with the center of our day-to-day operations. Building on this hub, we will continue working with diverse partners from industry, academia, and research institutions in Japan and around the world to develop a research infrastructure that no other single organization can build alone. Our goal is to return the resulting technologies and knowledge to society in forms that can be broadly utilized.

Relocation Overview

New Principal Office Address

Tokyo Ryutsu Center Building A, AW 4-5,6
6-1-1 Heiwajima, Ota Ward, Tokyo 143-0006
Japan

Heiwajima Hub Operational Start Date

September 22, 2025

Effective Date of Principal Office Relocation

June 26, 2026

Registration Date

July 31, 2026