Readers in Council,
The Japan Times,
5-4, Shibaura 4-chome,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0023
The 14th Annual Robocup International Symposium took place at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Center from June 19-25. My own son was fortunate to be a member of the Japan Junior Team, having won at the Robocup Japan Open in Osakaduring Golden Week. I regret that I had to stay behind in Tokyo for work while my wife traveled with him to Singapore with the Japancontingent. But thanks to the Internet I could track what was happening day by day. For those unfamiliar with Robocup, it is an international program to teach young people about robotics and artificial intelligence, catering to aspiring engineers and scientists. Students program their machines to perform competitive dance and soccer with other teams. Although personally I tend to dismiss humanoid robots as more of a superfluous fancy reflecting a self-centered fetish than a socially and economically efficacious endeavor, it has been a great hobby for my son and I am excited for him and his peers in their exploration of science and in the adventures of traveling to Tsukuba for the Kanto Championship, then Osaka for the Japan Championship, and now Singapore for the World Championship in pursuit of their dreams.
Next year’s Robocup 2011 World Championship is scheduled for Istanbul, Turkey. Let’s all get excited about Robocup!