Honda Trip to Japan Day 2 – Visiting ASIMO
Visiting Asimo At Fan Fun Lab
Today is day 2 of the Honda journalists trip. At the crack of dawn, we all got a morning call, because we had a long day ahead of us. First thing in the morning, we visited the Fan Fun Lab, a little place situated next to the Twin Ring Motegi Circuit, where a ‘blend of dreams and play’ spurs children on to a glimpse of the future, of course sponsored by Honda.
Honda believes in the power of dreams, especially in the power of innocent dreams of children, and the energy generated by play. The Fan Fun Lab was created to show children the fun and pleasure of ‘feeling, “knowing,” “discovering,” “creating,” and ‘operating,” by giving them practical experience in creating something with their hands and making it move. In this way, it is hoped that the natural curiosity of children would be stimulated, and it would give them an opportunity to give full scope to their imagination, nurturing and developing their creativity, spontaneity, and sociability, all of which are essential for their healthy growth.
At Mobility World, children are given parts to build their own car and drive it along a fixed course. Two types of kit cars are available, and through building their own car and driving it along the course, the children learn about the various parts of a car and how they work with each other. Next to it is the Mobility Lab, in itself a storehouse of interesting facts and interactive games where children can learn responsibility in keeping the environment safe by showcasing environmentally safe vehicles like the Honda Hybrid car and fuel cell car, plus providing easy to understand information and explanations as to how they all work. Unfortunately for us, it was mostly in Japanese, but the pictures and diagrams told their own story. In the Dream Studio, children can also have fun making things with their own hands.
The Fan Fun Lab is also the home of the world famous ASIMO, the two-legged humanoid robot that has brought the robot dream closer to reality. One day, not too far in the future, it is quite possible that humans and robots will co-exist in the same community. There are various programs that enable children to meet and enjoy playing with ASIMO.
