The trade ministry plans to use an exposition to jump-start next-generation machines.

The trade ministry is looking for a few good robots, about 50, to spearhead the nation's advance into a new core industry.

Only the brightest and hardiest need apply. The machines, sought for a 2005 exposition, will need multilingual verbal skills, capability to engage in security patrols and sensitivity to transport physically disabled visitors.

During the 2005 World Exposition, scheduled for March 2005 in three different cities in Aichi Prefecture, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will showcase the nation's latest robotics technology.

The ministry plans to help manufacturers put next-generation robots into practical use as early as 2006 and create a society where robots coexist with people by around 2010. The goal is to grow robotics into one of the nation's key industries, alongside such pillars as automobiles.

A total of 3.1 billion yen has been earmarked in the fiscal 2004 budget bills for the project.

In February, the ministry will solicit participants for the exposition's verification tests. The ministry will shoulder half the research and development costs of participants and finance all costs necessary to assemble robots used in the demonstration.

According to plan, eight robots will be used to guide visitors and patrol the site at night, nine will compose a janitorial crew, 15 will communicate with children at nursery facilities and 20 wheelchair robots will carry physically disabled visitors.

To ensure safety, each robot will be accompanied by an official, but in principle, the robots will move freely.

The ministry expects visitors to see robots play with children, answer questions by foreign guests in English and Chinese and collect trash.

During an initial six-month demonstration, the ministry and manufacturers will verify the safety and durability of the robots. The ministry will require manufacturers to make improvements based on the test data within one year.

The best known prototypes so far are Honda Motor Co.'s humanoid Asimo and Sony Corp.'s robotic dog Aibo. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. also unveiled Wakamaru, a prototype household robot, in April 2003.

An official of the ministry's Industrial Machinery Division said that practical application of next-generation robots is near in terms of technological development.

However, a major obstacle involves legal restrictions imposed by the Road Traffic Law and other laws that prevent robot manufacturers from conducting long-term tests to verify the safety and durability of their products.

To overcome that problem, the ministry proposed that the Japan Association for the 2005 World Exposition design part of the exposition site for robot testing. The organizer of the exposition agreed, expecting the test demonstration to be a major attraction of the event, which is estimated to draw about 15 million visitors.

A ministry official said, ``The robot industry will be on track only if manufacturers are offered opportunities, such as the exposition, that will serve as springboards for development.''(IHT/Asahi: January 13,2004) (01/13)