Sep 26 2017
Louisa Wood and Yanni Ma had a vision of how robots could improve the future. Now, after bringing that vision to life to win the 2017 Honda Robotics Contest, the Bayside (Wisc.) Middle School students got to interact first-hand with the future of robotics.
The two students were honored Monday morning for their contest-winning video detailing how robots could help society, with a visit from ASIMO - Honda's advanced humanoid robot.
"Louisa and Yanni won this exciting opportunity for our school district by using their knowledge and excitement for robotics developed through their participation robotics programs," said Bayside Gifted Program Coordinator Kristin Lockhart. "We are so very proud of them and are excited to see the impact that they will have on the world in the future."
As eighth-graders, Wood and Ma produced a one-minute video that described how robots could help ease world hunger by improving farming efficiency, and could help to save lives by performing complex medical procedures.
"Of the many submissions that we received through the contest, Yanni and Louisa's stood out by detailing ways that robotics could actually help society," said Jeffrey Smith, vice president of Corporate Affairs and Communications at Honda North America, Inc. "These two eager students went the extra mile to show how robots could provide solutions to some problems, and their efforts really separated themselves from the rest of the entries."
Honda's first-ever robotics contest challenged students to provide their vision of how robotics would affect the future by the year 2066. Honda North America received submissions from 19 states, with students participating through schools, after-school groups and community clubs.
The Honda Robotics team visited the Milwaukee school on September 25, where students were treated to a full demonstration of ASIMO's capabilities, which included running, hopping, climbing stairs and dancing. ASIMO performed for more than 500 students in four shows.