Last year’s Grand Prize winning robot
There should be no doubt that Japan is the world’s leading nation when it comes to the production and promotion of robots of all kinds.
Each year, Nippon’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) chooses a handful of robots it thinks are especially cool and gives them the so-called Robot Award [JP]. The ministry yesterday announced the eight winners (chosen out of 65 applicants) of the “Robot Award 2008”.
Here are all winners:
Category: Service robots
This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off
Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register before May 8 to bring a +1 at half the cost.
This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off
Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register before May 8 to bring a +1 at half the cost.
Omnibot17µ i-sobot from Takara Tomy
“Booktime” from Nishizawa [JP], an automatic page turner (video)
Rice-transplanting robot from Japan’s National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
Robotics-based engineer training solution ZMP e-nuvo from ZMP (video)
Category: Industrial robots
Small assembly conveyance robot XR-G from Denso Wave
10th generation LCD glass substrate processing robot MOTOMAN-CDL 3000D from Yaskawa Electric
Category: Other robots and parts
Hose-shaped rescue robot from Tohoku University (more info here)
Ultra-small MEMS 3-axial touch sensor chip from the University of Tokyo and Panasonic
The METI will select winners of the Grand Prize and the Venture Award for SMEs from these robots and announce them December 18.
