Presents the results of an assessment of the state of robotics in Japan, Korea, Western Europe and Australia and a comparison of robotics R&D programs in these countries with those in the US. This book contains comparisons in areas like robotic vehicles, space robotics, service robots, humanoid robots, and networked robots.

This book presents the results of an assessment of the state of robotics in Japan, South Korea, Western Europe and Australia and a comparison of robotics R&D programs in these countries with those in the United States. The comparisons include areas like robotic vehicles, space robotics, service robots, humanoid robots, networked robots, and robots for biological and medical applications, and based on criteria such as quality, scope, funding and commercialization. This important study identifies a number of areas where the traditional lead of the United States is being overtaken by developments in other countries.