Biped robots engage in boxing matches at a robot contest, above, as a full crowd looks on, below. (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)

The research institutes of leading companies and universities in Japan are competing feverishly to improve the functions of robots, and there are now even robots that can sing and dance. But apart from this state-of-the-art research, the production of homemade robots among amateur enthusiasts - including elementary school children - has also been enjoying a boom. Amateur robot contests are being held in various places and are proving to be immensely popular; it is not unusual for such an event to attract around 10,000 visitors in one day.

Cheers and Laughter for Robot Boxers
In February 2002 a boxing contest for robots that can move around on two legs was held at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (MeSci) in Koto Ward, Tokyo. In a two-square-meter ring, robots measuring about 30 centimeters in height aimed punches at each other over five one-minute rounds. Robots that managed to knock their opponents over three times were the winners. Although there was some prior screening of the robots' capabilities to ensure that the contest ran smoothly, it was possible for anyone to participate on an individual basis.

About 30 robots took part in the contest, which was being held for the first time, and the heated fights between the robots drew cheers from the audience. There was also much laughter as robots twisted and turned, only to punch the air, or ceased to function properly during the fight.

One elementary school in Tokyo has been holding lessons on robot making for third graders since 2000. The lessons involve making original robots carrying sensors and microcomputers that can be purchased in stores. The children devote themselves to the task boisterously, shouting out, "There's something wrong with the touch sensor!" or "It's a programming error!" The teacher in charge describes the great educational benefits: "Since they make the robots by hand, they learn how the mechanisms work quite naturally."

Children Foster International Friendship Through Robots
At an international children's friendship meeting in Yokohama in November 2001 there was a contest in which autonomous-type insect robots vied to get through a maze or a special obstacle course using touch sensors, infrared sensors, or other devices and reach the finishing line in the shortest possible time. Children from such countries as Britain, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore participated in the event.

There are now so many robot fans that it is probably true to say there is a robot contest held somewhere in Japan every weekend. The events are varied. For example, there are soccer tournaments involving teams of three to five robots each, ping-pong ball contests in which remote-controlled robots try to throw balls into a goal, running races in which motor-driven robots go around courses, and contests in which robots stage various performances.

Traditional Affection for Robots in Japan
In Western countries, people tend to imagine nonhuman forms of mass production when they think of robots. But in Japan, rather than focus on the mechanical aspect, people tend to consider robots as friendly playmates. For example, Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy) was a cartoon about a robot character that became popular among all generations in Japan. It was carried in a monthly magazine for boys from April 1952 to March 1968 and was also broadcast on television as a cartoon series from 1963 to 1966. And all Japanese children grow up loving Doraemon, a blue robot cat who helps his companion, a 10-year-old boy, to realize his dreams.

In the past robot production was a hobby only for a small group of fanatics, but recently it has become more widely popular thanks to the appearance of Web sites and manuals for beginners and the opening of special stores dealing in robot-making kits and equipment.