Sep. 21, 2005
Toyota to Hold "Waku-Waku World" Interactive Event
Tokyo ― TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today its plans to hold "Waku-Waku World", a free, interactive public event at the Toyota Sports Center in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday, October 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event will be jointly sponsored by Toyota City, the Toyota Engineering Society (TES)*1 (a TMC voluntary group headed by TMC Executive Vice President Kazuo Okamoto) and the Expo 2005 Aichi Toyota Regional Promotion Council*2 (headed by Toyota Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Shoji Watanabe).
Waku-Waku World is being held under the themes of "Future Technologies" and "Making Things", and it is comprised of the 2005 TES Festival and the 2005 Toyota City "Making Things" Festival, sponsored by Toyota City and the Expo 2005 Aichi Toyota Regional Promotion Council.
The 2005 TES Festival
The theme of the 2005 TES Festival is "Enthusiastic Techies Breaking Through to the Future". The event features time trials by bipedal robots, created by members of TES with a focus on creativity and innovation, as well as races by model cars powered by gravity, wind and other natural energy sources. Also included will be a musical performance by the Toyota Partner Robots, which were displayed at Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan, along with a demonstration of the i-unit, exhibitions of technical skills from both TMC and non-TMC technicians as well as other events that children and families can enjoy. By coming into direct contact with these future technologies, which normally only TES members have access to, and by experiencing "making things", members of the general public can experience first hand the prosperous society of tomorrow made possible through technological innovation.
The 2005 Toyota City "Making Things" Festival
The 2005 Toyota City "Making Things" Festival has as its slogan, "Things Made by Toyota―Make Discoveries Together! Experience Things Together! Feel Excited Together!" The festival will feature numerous participatory events, including science shows, lectures and demonstrations by local residents engaged in "making things", a exhibit of 2005 Toyota City "Making Things" Grand Prize winners, manufacturing workshops by local groups, test drives of a hand-made, battery operated car and an earthquake simulation vehicle.
Further details of Waku-Waku World events can be found in the supplied attachment.
*1A voluntary organization made up of approximately 31,000 Toyota Motor Corporation employees and established to develop the skills and talents of its members and to promote friendship. This year marks its 58th anniversary.
*2 Established in December 2001 to promote Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan, and related town development. Comprised of approximately 2,300 individual members.
TES Festival 2005
Robot Athlete & Performer
Making Things Dream Stage
Waku-Waku World is being held under the themes of "Future Technologies" and "Making Things", and it is comprised of the 2005 TES Festival and the 2005 Toyota City "Making Things" Festival, sponsored by Toyota City and the Expo 2005 Aichi Toyota Regional Promotion Council.
The 2005 TES Festival
The theme of the 2005 TES Festival is "Enthusiastic Techies Breaking Through to the Future". The event features time trials by bipedal robots, created by members of TES with a focus on creativity and innovation, as well as races by model cars powered by gravity, wind and other natural energy sources. Also included will be a musical performance by the Toyota Partner Robots, which were displayed at Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan, along with a demonstration of the i-unit, exhibitions of technical skills from both TMC and non-TMC technicians as well as other events that children and families can enjoy. By coming into direct contact with these future technologies, which normally only TES members have access to, and by experiencing "making things", members of the general public can experience first hand the prosperous society of tomorrow made possible through technological innovation.
The 2005 Toyota City "Making Things" Festival
The 2005 Toyota City "Making Things" Festival has as its slogan, "Things Made by Toyota―Make Discoveries Together! Experience Things Together! Feel Excited Together!" The festival will feature numerous participatory events, including science shows, lectures and demonstrations by local residents engaged in "making things", a exhibit of 2005 Toyota City "Making Things" Grand Prize winners, manufacturing workshops by local groups, test drives of a hand-made, battery operated car and an earthquake simulation vehicle.
Further details of Waku-Waku World events can be found in the supplied attachment.
*1A voluntary organization made up of approximately 31,000 Toyota Motor Corporation employees and established to develop the skills and talents of its members and to promote friendship. This year marks its 58th anniversary.
*2 Established in December 2001 to promote Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan, and related town development. Comprised of approximately 2,300 individual members.
| Attachment |
TES Festival 2005
Robot Athlete & Performer
- Launched this year in relation to the Vehicle Idea Contest
- Features unique, two-legged robots created by TES members that compete in time trials testing speed, power and balance over three difficult courses
- Rankings determined by the total time taken to complete the three courses
- Awards given for best time and best performance on each course
- Consists of a speed and jumping competition using miniature racing machines employing natural energy sources, such as gravity and wind
- Semifinal winners from various company divisions to compete in the finals
- Involves simplified version of the Eco Battle 2005 and open to elementary school students
- Participants assemble machines from parts made available on-site and compete to achieve the fastest time
- Features a musical performance by the Toyota Partner Robots
- Includes an i-unit demonstration and public photo session
- Displays a next-generation prototype robot, along with a demonstration
- Displays entries from the "I Wish Had A Robot Like This" drawing contest, submitted by elementary school students (fourth through sixth grades) from Toyota City, concerning the robots of their dreams
- Winners will be announced
- Provides workshops (wood models, sheet metal, hand-molded earthenware and other fields) that children can participate in and which are held by specialists in "making things" from TMC and other organizations
- Features the Paper Helicopter Challenge, where kids can experience the fun of "making things" themselves by making paper helicopters and competing with them while learning about the principles of staying airborne
Making Things Dream Stage
- Features the Toyota Science Show
- Includes a special presentation of science shows from the Toyota Hands-On Museum
- Showcases "The Edison of Mikawa: A Demonstration by Mr. Genju Kato"
- Introduces and features a lecture on the customized self-help devices created by Mr. Kato for disabled people
- Features "The Gadget Studio: A Demonstration by Tsuyoshi Yamazaki", which is a demonstration and explanation of the mechanical dolls created by Tsuyoshi Yamazaki
- Features a citizens' group workshop for "making things" using household materials
- Paper craft workshop
- Participants can recreate pavilions of the Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan, as well as make Japanese-style paper and take part in other simple, creative projects that the whole family can enjoy
- Features a demonstration on the appeal of agriculture in new Toyota City, including farm-stays and the Agricultural Life Innovation Center
- Also features a Farmer's Market held by the Agricultural Life Innovation Center - Displays winners of the 2005 Toyota City Making Things Grand Prize
- Provides test rides in the WEM hand-made battery car
- Allows attendees to experience first hand the Zenshin-go mini fire truck and the Bousai-kun earthquake simulation vehicle
- Features demonstrations and exhibitions from the Why? Project Automobile and Fiber Teams.
