Korea’s robotics industry is accelerating with record growth in output, sales and exports. According to a government survey of 395 firms, their combined sales nearly doubled to $2.1 billion last year from a year earlier. Total production volume and exports shot up 75% and 137% respectively.

In January, seven ministries involving industry, education and the environment devised a plan to pump $95 million into 10 pilot projects to develop service and industrial robots. Under the plan, robots will be deployed for education, fire-fighting, sewage repairs and manufacturing this year, while others will patrol danger zones, remove mines in the DMZ and do farm work starting next year, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.