JAPAN: Engineering students gather in Japan and compete to create the fastest, most accurate flying robots

Record ID: 401648

  • Title: JAPAN: Engineering students gather in Japan and compete to create the fastest, most accurate flying robots
  • Date: 30th March 2008
  • Summary: (L!1) TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 21, 2008) (REUTERS) SOUTH KOREAN TEAM FROM THE KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KAIST) LAUNCHING THEIR HELIUM FLOATER FLOATING MACHINE PASSING BY GOAL POSTS SMALL CAMERA ON THE BELLY ON THE FLOATING FLYER FLOATING BALLOON GLIDING ALPHABET CARDS AND NUMBER CARDS ON THE FLOOR KOREAN TEAM MEMBER WATCHING MONITOR FROM CAMERA IMA
  • Embargoed: 14th April 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Science / Technology,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAD59GMZ2L1VO5ARGADLWID2CG9
  • Story Text: Forty-four teams from high schools and universities around Asia competed in creating the most precise, lightweight flying robots they could on Friday (March 21) in Tokyo.
    Competitors were required to build flying machines of under 150 grammes that could be remote controlled to pass through goal posts and monitor with attached wireless camera's objects on the ground during the course of three minutes.
    Entries came in from all over Asia including South Korea and Indonesia, but the majority of participants were from Japanese engineering universities.
    Sponsors of the competition, such as national carrier JAL and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries were out to build the foundations of a Japanese aeronautical industry.

    "This competition is backed by the aeronautical industry, and as Japan is entering an era where we are trying to build our own commercial aeroplanes, so I am sure they are looking to develop the aircraft engineers of the future," said Shinji Suzuki, professor at Tokyo University's department of engineering.
    Mitsubishi Heavy, the leader in the Japanese aeronautical industry, is aiming to start small jetliner production in 2012.
    Mitsubishi's jetliner will come in 72-seat and 92-seat versions and is part of a larger effort by Japan to develop aircraft that are more fuel efficient and make less noise.
    However not all students saw their future in the aeronautical industry.

    "I am looking to develop a system where the robots will monitor indoor situations, either in a security capacity or to help out check on senior citizens in need," said Kunihiko Sato, a 21-year old student of the University of Electro-communications who built a fish-shaped robot that tried to "swim" across the indoor field.
    Other participants said they were hoping to build future national space shuttles or fly robotic spy planes.
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