Japan Plans AI Robot Competition on the ISS in 2027

Japan plans to hold a robot competition on the International Space Station as early as 2027. The contest is organized by the Space AI Robot Association, founded in July this year, to work with universities, companies and research institutions on space, AI and robotics technology, and to train the next generation of space engineers.

Preliminary rounds will take place on the ground in a simulated space station environment to test AI models. Winning teams will go to the space station and use their own physical AI models to control the spherical drone Int-Ball2 inside Japan's Kibo module to complete tasks.

According to market research firm Global Information, the space robotics market is expected to reach $12.4 billion by 2035, about twice the market size in 2026.