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When Japan hosts the summer Olympics in 2020, prime minister Shinzo Abe is determined to make it an event to remember.

And what better way, he claims, than to include robotic competitors to show off the world's technical achievements.

Mr Abe made the comments during a tour of robotics factories in Tokyo and Saitama, where he also announced the creation of a taskforce to treble the size of the Japanese robotics industry.

Prime minister Shinzo Abe made the comments during a tour of robotics factories in Tokyo and Saitama, where he also announced the creation of a taskforce to treble the size of the industry

The industry could help revitalise the country's economy, and Mr Abe hopes to increase its market for machines to 2.4 trillion yen (£13.8 billion or $24 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,' Mr Abe said.

'We want to make robots a major pillar of our economic growth strategy.

'We would like to set up a council on making a robotic revolution a reality in order to aid Japan's growth.'

There are also a number of smaller competitive events such as the RoboCup (pictured) and contests such as the Darpa Robotics Challenge

This isn't the first time that a robotics competition has been organised on a large-scale. In 2010, China launched a humanoid battle that included 16 events.

There are also a number of smaller competitive events such as the RoboCup and the Darpa Robotics Challenge.

Meanwhile, Switzerland is currently gearing up to host the world's first cyborg Olympics in 2016.

Japan is currently a leader in the sector. The country recently unveiled a chatty humanoid robot that its makers say can understand people's emotions.

Other robotic accomplishments include a realistic robotic newsreaders and a droid with reflexes so fast it can never be beaten at the game 'rock, paper, scissors'.

SCIENTISTS CREATE THE WORLD'S FIRST ROBOT THAT READS EMOTIONS 

In a country dominated by 'kawaii' - or cute culture - Japan has embraced the rise of cuddly robots.

Now, one Tokyo-based firm has unveiled what it believes to be the world's first droid that can read human emotions.

Mobile carrier Softbank said its robot, named Pepper, will go on sale in Japan in February for 198,000 yen (£1,130 or $1,900).

The machine, which has no legs, but has gesticulating hands appeared on a stage in a Tokyo suburb, cooing and humming. 

Pepper uses an 'emotional engine' and a cloud-based artificial intelligence to study gestures, expressions and human speech tones.

The 48-inch (121 cm) tall, 62 lb (28 kg) white Pepper has no hair, but two large doll-like eyes and a flat-panel display stuck on its chest.

It was developed jointly with Aldebaran Robotics, which designs, produces and sells autonomous humanoid robots.