Robotics rivalry in gear as Japan aims to lead fourth industrial revolution The Japan Times

Japan is set to accelerate its development of robots to secure a lead over rival nations, including the United States and Germany, as a new industrial revolution beckons. The world is "on the threshold of the fourth industrial revolution, a paradigm shift caused by robotics and artificial intelligence," said Takuro Morinaga, a professor at Dokkyo University. "A country that has a hold on the revolution will control the world." The first industrial revolution was propelled by steam engines, the second by electric power and the third by computers. There was considerable anticipation for the field at a symposium on the future of robotics, held in June at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center and attended by more than 1,000 people.