A Competition Like Robot Sumo Inspires
Kanai: Certainly the participation by the technical high schools has been a big factor. Although the students on each school team change regularly as they graduate, the high school principals and teachers stay and are strong supporters of the program. Also, participation in the open category is just as strong, if not stronger, than the technical high school entries every year.
A competition like robot sumo inspires people on many different levels. Of course, they would all like to win - that goes without saying, so it’s a big motivating factor. There is also the learning and improving yourself aspect. People really want to demonstrate their ability, to show what they can create, both to others and to themselves.
Probably the most important factor is what we call ‘monozukuri’. A literal translation is probably “thing making”, but in the sense that we use the word in Japanese it also incorporates craftsmanship and the creative process. There’s a level of pride and ownership that takes place when an individual or team creates their robot and competes with it. Many of the competitors find that aspect of robot sumo very compelling. In fact, some of them even compare the techniques used to design their robots with the Edo era Japanese craftsmen that created samurai swords.