Yukai Calls on All Its Robotic Kit Users to Show Off Their Ingenuity in Its First ‘kurikit’ Robotic Contest

2020/5/14 News

As part of its educational product and program series known as “kurikit,” Yukai Engineering will host its first ever homemade robotic contest (“Uchi-robo contest”). Kurikit is aimed to help the young and adults learn robotics while having fun. In the contest, people of all ages can use the company’s “create-a-critter robot kit” to build robots and show off their best work by submitting them via social media.

For more information about the contest, please visit:
https://note.com/notes/n8ace58c8309a

The “create-a-critter robot kit” enables anyone, including elementary school-aged children, to easily build robots. Contest participants are asked to use the kit to build “really interesting” robots. Zariganiworks Co., Ltd., the company that designs and develops toys, will serve as the special guest juror for the contest. We look forward to seeing lots of unique innovative submissions from all corners of the country!

We would also like to let you know that NHK Enterprise, the organizers of Elementary Kids Robocon, and Yukai will collaboratively host a workshop titled, “Do it at home! Online robot-making workshop,” on May 29 and May 30, while the contest is ongoing. Any elementary school children in the lower grades can participate in this workshop to create robots with Yukai’s “create-a-critter robot kit.” Yukai’s staff engineer Yoshihisa Wada, who himself has had the experience of participating in a high school robocon, will teach the students “the wisdom of monozukuri (crafting).” All participants will join the workshop remotely via online.

We are spending a lot of time at home right now, and it’s a great time to try making things! I hope you will discover the joy of making robots from your original ideas while at home.

 

Yukai’s “create-a-critter robot kit”
https://kurikit.ux-xu.com/robotkit/

* Yukai Engineering collaborates with NHK Enterprise to support all aspects of the annual Elementary Kids RoboCon, ranging from the development of the “create-a-critter robot kit” as the robocon’s official robot making kit, to designing the control board for the event, to hosting educational seminars.

* “Science ZERO” show (NHK Educational TV)’s coverage of Elementary Kids RoboCon
https://www4.nhk.or.jp/zero/x/2020-05-15/33/4677/2136746/
(The program will air agan from 10:40-11:10 a.m. on May 15, 2020)

 

Contest overview

Submissions: Friday, May 15, 2020 through midnight Wednesday, July 15
Results announcement: Expected in early August 2020 on kurikit note (https://note.com/kurikit)
Instagram @kurikit_official , and Twitter @KurikitOfficial 

Theme for robots: “The world’s most fascinating robot”
* No limit to the number of robots each person may asubmit
* No age limit

Qualifications
① You will follow kurikit’s social media accounts on
Instagram @kurikit_official
or
Twitter @KurikitOfficial

② You use the “create-a-critter robot kit” to create a robot from your own idea.
(In addition to the “create-a-critter robot kit,” you may also use the Cocoro Kit (the expansion kit that enables you to control your robot wirelessly)

③ You will upload a photo or video of your robot on your Instragram or Twitter account by including #うちロボ, along with a note about what’s special about your work.

How to register
You can register in 3 easy steps!

Step 1: Select a social media platform on which you will be posting your robot and follow kurikit’s account on the platform
Step 2: Create a robotic critters from your original idea
Step 3: Post a photo/video of your robot on social media by including #うちロボ

 

Awards
・Yukai Grand Prix: 1 person (A 30,000-yen Amazon gift card)
・Division winners (Idea Award, Humor Award, Design Award, Technology Award): 1 person for each award (A 10,000-yen Amazon gift card)
・Jury’s Special Award: 3 people (each juror will select a winner)
– Zariganiworks Co., Ltd., (Toy planning, development and design)
http://www.zariganiworks.co.jp
– Akichika Tanaka, Sony Interactive Entertainment
– Yoshihisa Wada, engineer, Yukai Engineering

Taro Mukasa and Yoshitane Sakamoto of Zariganiworks Co., Ltd., (left) and Akichika Tanaka, Sony Interactive Entertainment (center) and Yoshihisa Wada of Yukai Engineering

Please visit the following site for the details of the contest:
https://note.com/notes/n8ace58c8309a

 

 

Online Robot Making Workshop

1st day: Friday, May 29, 2020, 3-5 p.m.
2nd day: Saturday, May 30, 3-5 p.m.
Ages: First through third grades

* We ask at least one adult to accompany a child during the workshop to ensure safety.

Fees: None
What to bring:
・Yukai’s “create-a-critter robot kit” (After your registration, we will provide instructions on how to prepare for the workshop.)
・Scissors
・Please feel free to bring any materials you like from home (For details, please see the instructions to be sent to you after registration)
・Access to the internet, as well as a supervising adult’s access to a smartphone or tablet computer
(If you are using a PC, please make sure you have a camera that allows you to adjust its angle. We will be using the online video conferencing application, Zoom, for the workshop.)
How to register
Please register for the workshop by using the form below. The registration starts on May 18.
The registration will be done on a first-come, first-served basis and will be discontinued when it reaches the maximum number.

・ First day[Max. 5 people]:https://forms.gle/hDCb48242WrBBPLT7
・ 2nd day[Max. 10 people]:https://forms.gle/RjvWViGWxnG1sLKs9

<Contact>
Elementary Kids RoboCon
http://www.official-robocon.com/shougakusei/
NHK Enterprise(Administrative office for the Elementary Kids RoboCon)
shougakusei.robocon@gmail.com

Online workshop
Host:NHK Enterprise, Science Museum Tokyo
Special Sponsor: Honda Motor Company, Ltd.
Sponsor:NOK Corporation, Cygames, Inc., Sony Interactive Entertainment, Person Research & Development Co., Ltd., Cemedine Co., Ltd.
Collaboration:Yukai Engineering Inc., Saitama University STEM Education Research Center, Tech Kids School, Futaba Corporation

 

 

 

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