The Robocup event held in Fukuoka City in 2003 was the first spark for promoting efforts to foster robot-related industries in the area, and make the city “a town where people can interact with robots.” One of those efforts is Robosquare on the second floor of the TNC TV Building, next to the Marizon Fukuoka Tower in Sawara Ward.
Did you know that Robosquare has 111 robots on permanent display, of which there are 41 different models? Some of these include Robovie-R, a robot for everyday use that can interact with humans; the Aibo, a dog-shaped robot that makes cute gestures, and Tetsujin 28, a popular cartoon character known in English as Gigantor. No other site anywhere exhibits so many varieties of robots. People come from all over Japan as well as overseas to see and study them. Adding to the site’s appeal is the free admission, and it is open until 19:00.
Of even greater interest than looking at and playing with the robots is the opportunity the Robosquare offers to participate in different robot classes. Some of the junior high and high school student classes include learning how to program the Aibo, a workshop for the Robovie-R I, which provides beginning level instruction in biped robots, and the Buruburu Tentomushi workshop. There are also classes for people of high school age and older. Higher education classes are offered as well. Kyushu University’s “Humanoid Studio,” and Waseda University’s Fukuoka branch are located next to each other at/in Robosquare, and members of both faculties teach classes and deliver lectures at the Robosquare facility. On your next vacation, why not take the whole family to Robosquare and learn to love robots?
2-3-2 Momochihama, Sawara-ku
092-821-4100
Hours: 10:00 to 19:00
Closed the second Wed. of each month (except in Jan., Jul., Aug., and Dec.)
