抄録
The National R&D Project “Micromachine Technology” was launched in 1990 by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. The target was to establish a technological paradigm of micromachine, which was supposed to be applied for a variety of domains, i.e. maintenance in complex industrial facilities, less invasive medical treatment and diagnosis, less energy consumption manufacturing system. The R&D approach originated from miniaturization of machine system and was different from those in the overseas. The Project run over the last decade of 20th century in the depressed economy and ended in March 2001 with many technological results and substantial impact on the public as well as research society. This paper summarizes background of Project initiation, implementation approach and major technological results. And also it takes a look at a foreseeable course in future.
