Juniors & Kids Electronics Workshop: "I used a soldering iron with my dad!"

Monodzukuri Classes were held at the Event Hall for families and one of the classes was the Juniors & Kids Electronics Workshop, which was held four times a day at the Main Stage in the hall center.
The organizer in charge said that, "When the same class was held last year, we limited to fifty participants per stage but this year because the programs were very popular, we increased the number to a hundred per stage. It was a good idea that we enlarged stage capacity because we had a sellout crowd every time!"
This class was targeted to elementary-school children and their parents to allow them to get better acquainted and interested in electronics. The children joined with their parents to create a battery-operated robot using soldering irons to solder electronic parts on to a substrate.
A fourth-grade boy from Tokyo who came with his father proudly said that, "I was so happy to be involved in something I cannot experience in my science class at school. I can't wait to show my friends the robot that I made!"
A first-grade boy who came from the local city of Chiba with his family of five said that, "I love battery-operated items", while looking proudly at the robot he created. His mother also commented that, "He is always the first in our family to learn how to operate the new appliances and equipment that we bring home."

Monodzukuri Class: "I can't wait to fly this paper plane I made on my own!"

Another Monozukuri Class held at the Event Hall was on the easy crafting of paper planes where entire families could enjoy. High-school students who are skilled in woodwork and handicrafts volunteered to provide helpful tips to participating parents and children on how to make paper planes that fly well.
Some children had difficulty keeping up with the paper-plane making process but the high-school students very patiently provided them with tips on the handicraft. Asked about the workshops, one of the students said that, "All the children were open minded and so enthusiastic that it was a joy to work with them".
A mother who came from the city of Chiba with her family of four said that, "I heard about CEATEC JAPAN 2008 on the TV so I checked out the show on the Internet and found there were many events that the whole family could enjoy. So we came here to experience these events and have fun." A father who is interested in IT consumer electronics said that, "I'm glad I brought along my kids because there were many family-oriented fun events here."
Another father who came from Tokyo with his family of four said that, "My daughter enjoys origami so I was happy to have her participate in the crafting of paper planes. As for the main stages, some of the booths can get a little noisy but there were a lot of other booths oriented more for kids so I really enjoyed visiting them with my daughter".
At the Monodzukuri Class, other exhibitions and demonstrations included a rescue robot that detects the body temperatures of people via an infrared sensor, a humanoid robot that can play soccer, etc.

The 20th All Japan Robot Sumo Tournament, Kanto Regional Finals: "Aiming to be the Japan Champion!"

The program that attracted the most attention from visitors was the 20th All Japan Robot Sumo Tournament's Kanto Regional Finals, which gained popularity as it was aired on the TV in the past, held in the Event Hall. On the day of the event, there were a total of 186 robots and competitors participating at the venue. The competition was separated into All Japan and high-school participants, which were further divided into self-standing robot and radio-controlled robot divisions. Competitors came from Tokyo and six other prefectures with runners-ups in the competition securing berths to compete in the nationwide finals.
A tough competition was expected as there were many experienced participants in the Kanto Regional Finals. In recent years, the number of participants from the All Japan group remained about the same but participants from high schools are increasing. The event organizer said that, "We see more participants from industrial high schools because the competition is reminiscent of the development of Formula 1 racing cars as the more powerful teams have a mechanical science instructor to look at the robot's body design, an electronic science instructor to work on the circuit board design, and a computer science instructor to handle the programming, and these people then join together to instruct the students".
Each year, design flexibility and engineering of the robots increase substantially thanks to advances in miniaturization and the growing power of motors. This means that bolder, more radical designs can be seen each year as the robots go head to head at the competition.

Tyco Electronics Group/Scientific Experiment Show: "I learned about magnets and operated the Linear Car!"

At the booth of the Tyco Electronics Group, a comprehensive electronics parts manufacturer, the "Parent-child Scientific Experiment Show" was held twice a day with twenty parent-child groups participating per show, which invited Dr. Hirofumi Yumoto, a professor of magnetic power at Gakken Co. After the show, the participants also had the opportunity to ride on the popular "TE Linear Motor Car".
At the Scientific Experiment Show, participants learned about the various characteristics of magnets during a fun talk by Dr. Hirofumi Yumoto. A newly developed electrical magnet was introduced that lifted up a girl from the audience, who had raised her hand to volunteer, using just a single dry cell battery and this excited the audience.
After the magnetic show, a mockup of the ultrasonic linear motor car was made by the participants. This again excited the audience as they watched the model car powered by ultrasonic waves operate.
When the Scientific Experiment Show by Dr. Hirofumi Yumoto concluded, the well-anticipated ride on the linear motor car awaited. Everyone, from children and adults, were very excited and anxiously waited in line to wear the helmet and get into the cockpit.
A fourth-grade girl who came with her father from Tokyo said emotionally that, "I was so surprised because when I turned on the switch, the vehicle itself lifted and floated in the air!