Quote:A robot fighting contest that draws huge crowds in Japan each year has highlighted sophisticated technological trends in robotics, experts say.

The 2004 Robo-One contest, held in Kawasaki, central Japan on 8 August, drew hundreds of spectators. The event is inspired by the sport K-1, a combination of kick-boxing other martial arts that is popular in Japan.

But the contestants are remote controlled robots constructed and operated by robotics enthusiasts and experts. Robots battle it out one-on-one for the title of overall Robot-One champion. In each bout a winner is declared if a robot is unable to stand within ten seconds of falling over, or if one freezes up or falls from the fighting platform.

The competition also includes a frenetic multi-robot brawl known simply as "The Rumble". Eight robots scrap it out with the last one standing declared the winner.

Videos posted to the tournament web site show the sophistication and agility of the robots competing this year. One video, captured by Japanese service here (3.90MB MPEG) shows a large robot pummelling a smaller contestant and flexing its arms in celebration.


Fighting techniques


Footage of The Rumble (3.48MB MPEG) shows eight robots with various fighting techniques battling it out. For example, one wields a knife while others use martial arts moves.

The overall winner of this year's contest was the Humanoid Project, from Kyushu University. The prize for first place was $9000 and for second place $1800.

But, as well as providing entertainment for robot fans, some experts believe the contest reveals technological trends in robotics.

Robert Richardson at the UK's University of Manchester, says the contestants at Robot-One exhibit "hierarchical control", meaning they can be told to perform a complex task, like standing up, and will do that for themselves.


More robust

"They've got many, many joints and you couldn't control them all," he told New Scientist.

Richardson adds that the fighting machines highlight the trend for making robots more robust. "There's a definite trend in the last few years to have more fault-tolerant humanoid robots," he says. "At some point they are going to fall over, so make them so they don’t get damaged and can get back up again."

Robotics kits can be bought in Japan but the machines on show at Robot-One include large amounts of custom hardware and software. The contest has been held annually since 1999 but the robotic pugilists have come a long way since its beginning.

"The technological advances have been amazing over the years," participant Naohiro Hayaishi, of robots company Vstone, told CNN. "These days, the robots really look like they are fighting."