More robots will handle tasks at the games, the organizers said, with news coming later.

The committee isn't shy about its aims: this is about showing off Japan's prowess with robots at a moment when the world will be watching. It'll demonstrate the "practical, real-life deployment" of the technology, project leader Hirohisa Hirukawa said. At the same time, it's also representative of the country's social issues. Japan's recent focus on worker robots is meant partly to cope with a declining population that limits its employment options. These robots might be needed to ensure that humans are free to take on other roles.