Members of the F-REI Public Relations Team who participated in the WRS2025 harsh environment F-REI Challenge looked back on the heated battle and wrote about the scenes that left an impression on us. We would like to share with everyone what we felt at the site.
Looking at the sky from the RTF urban area on October 10 (First Day)
(Looking into the distance) "I wonder if that's a drone..."
(approaching) "Oh~~ (shivering)"
(with the photographer next to me) "That's it, it's my first time here~~~"
(Photographer next to me: Nikkanko) "Amazing. It was wonderful~~~"
(Click, Click and continuous shooting)
Seriously, I was so impressed. I couldn't see any visible results last year, so it's really amazing~. Moreover, a small drone is breaking in through the window of the building.
I thought I saw a single black dot in the deep blue sky, but it gradually approached, and I was thrilled when I realized it was a drone. It was really nice to see visitors buzzing and pointing their smartphones and cameras at them~~. Taiwan team, well done!! <Tsuyoshi.T>
The power to take on challenges, the moment of smiling
Thank you to all the teams that participated in WRS. I have seen the team members go through trial and error many times in a limited amount of time and face the actual performance. I was impressed by their seriousness and enthusiasm. It was very impressive to see the winners happy at the award ceremony and the members who had supported them smiling together, and I was excited to see everyone having fun. When I saw that scene, I really thought, "I'm really glad I was able to be involved in this tournament."
This tournament is an important step in shaping F-REI's goal of "social implementation of robot and drone technology that plays an active role in harsh environments." I strongly hope that this challenge will lead to new technologies and hopes. ＜Satoshi.K＞
Robo A's monologue
Finally, the Plant Disaster Challenge has begun.
This is in a pitch-black tunnel, and I have to complete various missions under the instructions of the captain outside...
I can only rely on small lights and sensors.
There are obstacles right away, so avoid them. Finally I reached the car. The door is heavy. Car damage? The condition of the passengers? Gasoline leak? Ceiling conditions? It's not over yet.
The time limit is full, I have to return as soon as possible...
I think everyone recognized the difficulty of the mission and the many challenges through actual experience in the tunnel where the accident occurred with a sense of realism. Thank you very much to all the teams. We look forward to further improvements in technology. I sincerely hope that robots will help in tunnel disasters in the near future.
(photo before the competition) ＜Susumu. K＞
Captured Emotion
After three days of heated competition, the award ceremony was greeted with a slightly nervous look along with the noisy atmosphere of the venue. As the awards progressed, I also released the shutter of my camera, and the hot moments of the past came to my mind one after another, and my heart became hot.
The most impressive thing was the loud cheers and smiles when the local team was awarded. The proud expressions of the locals made me happy. Thank you very much to everyone involved, including the teams in Japan and abroad who made this tournament a great success.
I hope that your challenges will be the light that illuminates the future of Fukushima. I look forward to your future success! ＜Azumi. M＞
Two “moments”
I am not interested in robots, drones, or other "mechanical things" at all. I would like to tell you about two "moments" that remained in my heart.
One is to find the word "possibility" written on the arm of a MARS ZERO+UoA player who is on standby at Namie Airfield (left side of the photo). It was a "moment" when I felt a quiet fighting spirit.
The other was after the game, when I came across a scene where they generously gave a lecture to other teams (on the right side of the photo). I witnessed the "moment" when the circle of like-minded friends expanded.
It was very cool to see the players boldly face difficult missions. I hope that your future challenges will lead to wonderful results. I'm rooting for you! ＜Emiko. A＞
The YouTube F-REI Channel (@f-rei_channel) is streaming archived footage of the competition!