The robot contest of Japan’s colleges of technology, the kōsen, was first held in 1988. Its official name begins with aidea taiketsu, battle of ideas. It is organized by NHK Enterprises.
Honda, one of its sponsors, describes what the students do: mizukara no atama de kangae, mizukara no te de robotto o tsukuru. They think with their own heads and build robots with their own hands.