Japan is hoping to stage a Robot Olympics in 2020 alongside the summer games which will be hosted in Tokyo. Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, has said he wants to use such an event to showcase the latest global robotics technology, an industry in which Japan has long been famed as a pioneer. Mr Abe also outlined plans to create a special task force to develop a “robotic revolution” and treble the size of Japan’s robotics industry to a value of 2.4 trillion yen (£13.8 billion). “In 2020, I would like to gather all of the world’s robots and aim to hold an Olympics where they compete in technical skills,” said Mr Abe, according to Jiji Press agency. “We want to make robots a major pillar of our economic growth strategy.” He added: “We would like to set up a council on making a robotic revolution a reality in order to aid Japan’s growth.”