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AIRoA to Unveil Prototypes from the Domestic General-Purpose Robot Development Competition on September 16
2026-08-05
AIRoA is conducting the Domestic General-Purpose Robot Development Competition as part of a project commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
The development results of this competition will be presented at the Physical AI Summit (presented by NexTech Week,organized by RX Japan GK, and supported by AIRoA), which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Palace Hotel Tokyo.
This competition is being conducted with the aim of accelerating the domestic development of general-purpose robots (dual-arm mobile manipulators), with multiple selected companies developing prototype robots over a period of six months. Going forward, companies whose robots meet the prototype evaluation criteria are expected to proceed to the refinement phase (scheduled for September 2026 to March 2027), and those whose robots subsequently meet the evaluation criteria for the refinement phase are expected to move on to the mass-production preparation phase (scheduled from March 2027 to July 2027 and onward).
Details on the full program of the Physical AI Summit and information on how to register are scheduled to be announced on the RX Japan official website around mid-August. Details on the program for the unveiling of the Domestic General-Purpose Robot Development Competition prototypes will also be announced on the AIRoA official website at around the same time.
Overview of the Prototype Unveiling for the Domestic General-Purpose Robot Development Competition
| Date | Wednesday, September 16, 2026 |
| Venue | Palace Hotel Tokyo (1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) |
| Access | Directly connected by underground passage from Exit C13b of Otemachi Station (Chiyoda Line, Hanzomon Line, Marunouchi Line, Tozai Line) |
| Program | Exhibition of prototype robots at the development stage by the selected companies, presentations by the companies, and other content (planned) |
| Intended Audience | The event is intended for the following professionals involved in the physical AI industry:Decision-makers and operational leaders at companies considering the adoption of physical AI, robot development companies, and component suppliers and vendors |
| Note | To be held during the Physical AI Summit (presented by NexTech Week; Organizer: RX Japan GK, Supported by: AIRoA) |
Media Attendance
Members of the media are invited to cover this prototype unveiling. Those who wish to attend are asked to please register using the form below.
Registration form: https://forms.gle/QVW6sDZUMH5SUqbH8
About the NEDO-Commissioned Project
This competition is being carried out as part of the following NEDO-commissioned project:
Project for Strengthening Post-5G Information and Communication Systems Infrastructure / Development of a Data Platform for Generative AI Foundation Models in the Robotics Field
The project aims to develop a data collection platform necessary for robot foundation model development. The domestic general-purpose robots developed through this competition are expected to be used as robots for data collection in support of that effort.
For more information: https://www.nedo.go.jp/koubo/CD3_100398.html
Contact
Press Inquiries
E-mail: pr@airoa.org
Domestic General-Purpose Robot Development Competition Secretariat
E-mail: hw.comp@airoa.org