Karate robot takes on pugnacious chicken

By Hiroyuki Muramoto

TOKYO (Reuters) - One by one the fighters strut into the Korakuen stadium hall in Tokyo, accompanied by thunderous applause.

But this is no normal wrestling match -- the contenders are diminutive humanoid robots built and controlled by participants in the twice-yearly Robo-One Championships.

In the featherweight division, "Automo03-Sandan" -- a robot dressed in karate gear -- is no match for "Leghorn," a chicken-like robot known for its vicious "Chicken Chop" martial art moves.

"Japanese children have all been brought up watching animation and there is a lot of interest in robot battles, so this Robo-One competition is all about making this a reality," said Robo-One committee Chairman Terukazu Nishimura.

Japan's warrior robots come in all shapes. From medieval princes to cubic robots, 112 of them entered the two-day tournament. By Sunday, the final day, 45 remained standing among the heavyweights and featherweights.

In the lightweight division, South Korean robot Teakwon-V smashed his opponents with a quick jab, to the delight of his maker Jeon Young Sun, who took home the 1 million yen ($10,000) division prize.

"It is a good chance to see Japan's advanced robot technology," Jeon Young Sun, an engineer, told Reuters.

"Some people say that South Korea's technology is unsatisfactory, but I would like to show ... that South Korea's robot technology is doing really well by continuing to participate in robot competitions and walking shoulder to shoulder with Japan's teams until we develop our technology and do even better," he said.