On July 9 and 10, 2026, a two-day summer course, "Robotics Workshop: Solving Asia’s Most Pertinent Issues," was held at Ito Guest House.
The workshop welcomed 16 students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and National Taiwan University (NTU). Participants explored Japan’s advances in robotics while learning about major challenges facing Asia, including healthcare, environmental sustainability, industry, and aging societies. Through lectures and group discussions, students deepened their understanding of these issues and applied design thinking to develop innovative robotics-based solutions.
During the group discussions, students collaborated enthusiastically, engaging in LEGO® Serious Play® in order to explore their concepts, and exchanging ideas based on their diverse cultural and academic backgrounds. On the second day, each group presented its proposals, showcasing a wide range of creative solutions from different perspectives. Through their final projects, students also demonstrated that one of the main goals of the workshop, which was to develop critical thinking about the introduced issues, was successfully achieved.
On July 13, the participants also visited Yaskawa Electric Corporation in Kitakyushu City. During the visit, they were able to interact with industrial robots and learned how robotics technologies are applied in real-world manufacturing and other industrial settings.
The workshop provided participants with a valuable opportunity not only to deepen their understanding of robotics technologies but also to collaborate across cultures in addressing social challenges facing Asia from an international perspective.