U.S. Lags in Civilian Bots

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Are all our robots going to wind up being soldiers?Wired News reports that, "with the exception of military and space applications, the United States is falling behind Europe and Asia in robotics research, according to an international study."
rhex.jpgUnlike many other developed countries, the United States lacks a coordinated strategy to cultivate robotics development... Robotics research funding has been dropping in the United States for at least the last decade, with [the National Science Foundation's] funding now at less than $10 million per year.
In contrast, he said Japan's government will spend nearly $100 million in 2005. And over the next three years, Europe plans to spend nearly $100 million on a new program called Advanced Robotics. South Korea, meanwhile, spends $80 million on robotics research annually.

THERE'S MORE: If you've got a 'bot that can dig up moon dirt, NASA has a quarter-million bucks for you.

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