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This study examines the roles of market demand, industry structure, and firm strategy in the development of the robotics industry in the United States and Japan, focusing on differences between the two countries. On the demand side, Japan had a strong market for robots in the automotive and electrical machinery sectors. The U.S. got a slow start in the automotive sector and was unable to move rapidly to other customer sectors. On the supply side, the U.S. robotics industry consisted of mostly small and medium‐sized firms, while the Japanese robotics industry included many large‐diversified firms. Also, many U.S. robotics firms entered the market through acquisitions of and licenses with others, while many Japanese robotics firms moved forward in measured steps rather than attempting to make great leaps. Understanding these differences in market demand, industry structure, and firm strategy can help assess the overall competitiveness and development of the robotics industry in the U.S. and Japan.

Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in their efforts to develop and market new products. Looks at the issues from different strategic levels such as corporate, international, military and economic. Presents 31 case studies, including the success of Japan in microchips to the failure of Xerox to sell its invention of the Alto personal computer 3 years before Apple: from the success in DNA and Superconductor research to the success of Sunbeam in inventing and marketing food processors: and from the daring invention and production of atomic energy for survival to the successes of sewing machine inventor Howe in co‐operating on patents to compete in markets. Includes 306 questions and answers in order to qualify concepts introduced.

An often asked question is “Where does the UK stand in the field of robotics?”. An honest answer to this would be “Probably, dead last ” However, judging by the attendance and visitors to the Robots 79 conference and exhibition held in Nottingham last March and the growth of the British Robot Association over the past 18 months the UK is becoming very much aware of the benefits of robotics. Another question that is also put, which is a leading one, “Isn't the slowness of the UK in adopting robotics the result of trade union resistance?” Whilst UK union leadership is something apart it is doubtful if it is the nub of the problem. Almost universally around the world management is more worried about robotics than are the unions. Management in the executive suite talking about robots thinks they're talking dirty. Instead they might better have been open in discussing the introduction of robots with union people, telling them of the benefits and of the productivity gains and of the manner in which the product is to be introduced.

This paper is a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry engineer-turned successful innovator and leader regarding the challenges of bringing technological discoveries to fruition. This paper aims to discuss these issues.

The interviewee is Dr Robin R. Murphy, Raytheon Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University; Co-lead, Emergency Informatics EDGE Innovation Network Center, Texas A&M, Director of the Humanitarian Robotics and AI Laboratory and Vice President of the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) http://crasar.org. In this interview, Dr Murphy provides answers to questions regarding her pioneering experiences in rescue robotics.

As a child, Dr Murphy knew she wanted to be a mechanical engineer and obtained her BME degree from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). While working in industry after her BME, she fell in love with computer science and received an MS and PhD in Computer Science at Georgia Tech where she was a Rockwell International Doctoral Fellow. In the mid-1990s, while teaching at the Colorado School of Mines, she pioneered rescue robots after one of her graduate students returned from the Oklahoma City bombing and suggested that small rescue robots should be developed for future disasters. The National Science Foundation awarded Murphy and her students the first grant for search-and-rescue robots. She has since assisted in responses at more than 20 worldwide disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse, the Tohoku Tsunami and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

The response to the World Trade Center attacks after September 11, 2001 by Dr Murphy’s team from the University of South Florida (the only academic institution), along with four other teams brought together by CRASAR, marked the first recorded use of a rescue robot at a disaster site. In addition to being a founder in the field of rescue robots, she is also a founder in the field of human–robot interaction and the Roboticists Without Borders. She has written over 100 publications and three books: the best-selling textbook, Introduction to AI Robotics, Disaster Robotics and Robotics-Through-Science-Fiction: Artificial Intelligence Explained Six Classic Robot Short Stories. Dr Murphy has received approximately 20 national awards and honors including: the AUVSI’s Al Aube Outstanding Contributor Award, the Eugene L. Lawler Award for Humanitarian Contributions within Computer Science and Informatics, CMU Field Robotics Institute “Pioneer in Field Robotics” and TIME Magazine, Innovators in Artificial Intelligence. She is an IEEE Fellow.

Considers the use of robotics in the workplace as a means of protecting workers from exposure to hazardous substances, environments and physical agents. Gives examples of robots being used to handle radioactive material and working in the high dust exposure atmosphere of a plastics factory. Emphasizes the need to use a systematic approach to obtain the maximum health and safety benefit from automation of work, and outlines the areas to be considered. Describes the role of the British Robotics Association in realizing the potential benefits to occupational health from the application of robotic workstations and looks at areas of industry where this might be implemented. Concludes that using robotics to bring about health and safety benefits as well as production efficiency and quality improvement is a wide and new area for industry to develop.