Untitled Document
 Last
month, the Kids Times went to a feast of “imagination and enjoyment,” Robot World 2008,
with 5 kid reporters. Robot World 2008 was held in COEX from October
16 - 18. The event was divided into three big sections - robot exhibition, conference, and robot contest.
The Kids Times met with kid reporters - Kim Su-bin, Kim Jeong-won,
Kim So-hee, Kim Yong-soo, and Choi Yeon-joo on the 18th. Together,
we headed for the event hall, expecting the fantastic world
of robotics to unfold in front of us.
When we walked into the event hall, the place was filled with heat and excitement. Everyone looked
fascinated by the robots.
We also couldn’t take our eyes away from the variety of fascinating robots. Some
robots looked like plants and flowers, others looked like nurses.
There were also cleaning robots. Just as each individual has a different
look, robots also had their own unique appearances. At that time,
we saw many people gathering and shouting. There was a robot
contest going on. The contest is the Olympic Games of the robotics
world.
During the contest, robots made by secondary school and university
students compete with each other through 8 different events
- combat, dance, survival game,
basketball, technical performance, curling, hurdle, and relay.
After all of these events, the top prize is awarded to the team with
the best results overall. It is said almost
3,000 teams participated in the contest this year. We arrived at the
sports arena just in time
for the final game! After the dynamic and exciting game,
ROːBIT, a team from Kwangwoon University, got the championship! ROːBIT put
on a great dance performance to celebrate their championship.
To our surprise, their robots danced to a song by the Wonder Girls!
After the fantastic performance, we had a good chance to talk with
Pyo Yun-seok, the leader of ROːBIT. It was a great opportunity for us to learn
about robots and the robot contest! Let’s take a look at our conversation!
Nice to meet you! First of all, congratulations!
What is the main guideline for the robot contest?
Pyo: Well, there are many rules and procedures. But the most
primary rule is that the
robots taking part in the contest should be modeled on the human form. The robots should
have two arms, two legs, and a head just like humans do.
When did you start making robots?
Pyo: I don’t remember well. I’ve always been interested in robots
since I was young.
What do we have to study in university in order to make robots?
Pyo: You can study electronics, computer science,
or information control engineering.
But frankly speaking, the math
and science that I had learned in primary and secondary school became
the basis for my further studies in robotics.
How long did it take you to make robots and how many times did you
fail while making them?
Pyo: Well, our team studied for hundreds and thousands of hours to
make one robot. And of course, we failed many times. To prepare for
this contest, we spent about 4 months non-stop.
Why did you decide to participate in this competition?
Pyo: Well, first of all, because I like robots. Our robots are not
used in the industry. But through this
kind of competition, children can have an interest in robots. I think
it is my role to introduce robots to kids
and make them interested in robots.
 I
saw so many ROBOTS! Some robots looked so funny, they were walking
sideways! Before going to
Robot World, I didn’t like robots that much, but now I think robots
are very interesting. I hope I can go to the exhibition again someday.
Kim Su-bin (Shinmirim Elementary School)
 I
was very excited about seeing robots there. I saw many robots battling.
It was very thrilling! Also, we watched
‘The Wonder Robots’ dancing! Interviewing the winner of the competition,
I could learn many things about robots. It was a very good experience!
Kim Jeong-won (Hodong Elementary School)
 I
was not interested in robots before. But when I saw robots fighting, I was surprised
and excited. I asked a few questions to the winner of the competition
and learned new things. I was happy to get to know new things. It
was a really nice day!
Kim So-hee (Seogwipo Elementary School)
 I
thought that robots were light. But the little robot weighted about
5kg. I was very shocked. When the robots fought they did Tae-kwon-do.
The robots’ hands shot up and made their opponents fall over. The robots’ skills were great! It was
good entertainment.
Kim Yong-soo (Seogwipo Elementary School)
 The most
interesting thing was the performance by the Wonder Robots! It was
really amazing to see robots that can dance just like human beings. I think, the
more things robots are able to do, the happier the lives of people
will be! It was a great time!
Choi Yeon-joo (Hyoja Elementary School) |
|
|
|
