Day 6 Robosquare

Tonight Peter Granser the Residency Artist at Kura, will host a photography workshop at Kyushu university. Later after the workshop, Hiro told me to come over and join them for a drink. So while waiting to meet up with Hiro and Peter tonight, i was kind of wondering about where i should go. Then i remembered yesterday when i was at the tourist information Hakata, i found one interesting spot that i have been wanting to see, it's the Robosquare!

The Robo Expo is located next to Fukuoka tower and took about 25 minutes walking, but before i went to there i surveyed a bit of the surroundings first. As i wondered around, I found one building that has Pachinko. I saw this Pachinko machine before on the internet it's more like a machine slot.

4 Yen Pachinko Machines

In Japan, Pachinko is very popular and you can find it almost everywhere around the cities. To play with The player fires balls into the machine, which then cascade down through a dense forest of pins. If the balls go into certain locations, they may be captured and sequences of events may be triggered that result in more balls being released. The object of the game is to capture as many balls as possible. Directly gambling on pachinko is illegal in Japan. Balls won cannot be exchanged directly for money in the parlor. The balls are exchanged for tokens or prizes, which are then taken outside and exchanged for cash at a place nominally separate from the parlor.

Pachinko uses 3D animation as well,, yeayy

After got enough energy from lunch, i started to look for the venue that has the Robosquare. It's located inside TNC TV Building which is just beside the Fukuoka tower. This is the world’s first robot museum that offers the chance to experience robots first-hand and has a collection of 111 robots of 41 types. The square offers the public a glimpse into the latest robotic technologies and artificial intelligence research, organized in special zones, such as most advanced robots, two-way communication with robots, and robot development. At the Robosquare, they exhibited some of the robots that have went to robot competitions. They also have robot toys for sale and electrical parts for those who can build their own robot. It has many kinds of robots on demonstration from samurai robot, child robot, Paro (a seal robot for human physiological treatment), baby nursing robot, and the most famous one is Aibo (the dog robot). I think Japan somehow really tries to study human needs and has constantly understand in what substance that how robots can be useful to improve the quality life of mankind. 

Statue of Ganesha, reminds me of Indonesia

Fukuoka Tower

Ahh Subway, reminds me when i was at Clarke Quay - Singapore

Samurai Robot

Near the entrance, you can see a robot with traditional Hakata doll of The Samurai of Karoda, a celebrated figure from Kyushu. The robot not only can sit, stand and drinks sake from a traditional bowl, he can do fighting moves with the spear that he holds. If you want to see how the Samurai works click here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47_3D4GQeHs

Robonova - 1

Aibo ERS-311

TYRZ (a soccer robot)

In 2006 this robot won the humanoid league at the RoboCup World Championship for the third straight year. TYRZ can easily recognize a ball to kick it and it can even dive and put goalkeeper like Peter Cech to shame.

Tetsujin-28

Tetsujin 28 robot was based on the 1956 manga written and illustrated by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. The manga was later adapted into four anime TV series. The first, in 1963, was the first Japanese anime series to feature a giant robot. The 1963 series was later released in America as Gigantor.

A build your own Doraemon toy

Love the packaging design

Dear Santa..

The ancestors of Wall-E ?

Awesome Gundam!

After the Robosquare, i went to Kyushu University to meet up with Hiro and Peter who just finished his photography workshop. Mr. Katayama from Kyushu University brought us to have a great place to drink and dinner as well to celebrate Peter's workshop. Congrats Peter!

Hiro with his giant jug of beer and Mr. Katayama

Kampaiii !