- Title: JAPAN: Kids vye for Japan's robot champ title ahead of world Robot Olympiad
- Date: 7th September 2008
- Summary: STUDENTS MEASURING THE SIZES OF ROBOTS
- Embargoed: 22nd September 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Science / Technology,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVAERIFLCWVVK0PWP4R4FUX4QKT6
- Story Text: Students of all ages gathered from across Japan and competed their skills to create and operate robots near Tokyo on Sunday (August 31) as they geared up for the World Robot Olympiad coming up in November.
The Japan round of the international competition held in Yokohama was joined by more than 80 teams comprising elementary school to high school students, who showed off their skills to assemble robots and demonstrate their pieces of work.
Among this year's entries were many robot cars, which were controlled not by remote control devices but through a computer program written by the children.
"In Japan, we have made efforts to train people who can create things. And here, we aim to awaken children's curiosity towards science. This is the reason why we are hosting this event," said Yasuhide Kobayashi, an organizer of the event.
Eventually, 24 teams passed the preliminary round and got tickets to the international World Robot Olympiad competition scheduled for November in Yokohama.
Eleven-year-old Kosuke Suzuki, who was relieved to see his robot making it to the November competition, said: "At the world championships, we will even have to write a program on our own during the competition. That's why we'd have to work harder."
The annual World Robot Olympiad for students started in Singapore in 2004. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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