Kiko Run's 'Kiko Festival' Wraps Up — Mixed University Club Team Wins Overall, Zero Assists to the End

The final day of 'Kiko Festival,' October's running of Kiko Run, took place on the afternoon of the 21st at the temporary bay-side course. As previously reported on the 19th and 20th, Tokiwado led after day one, before the mixed university club team overtook it on day two while holding its zero-assist record. On the final day, the mixed team kept the same four entries and trimmed its time further to 1:35, finishing the three-day event without ever breaking its zero-assist record and taking the overall title. Organizers said, "Day one's care, day two's speed, and on day three they held onto both while adding one more layer on top. Finishing with zero assists intact while winning is a first in this event's history."

The university third-year student leading the team said, "By the final day we could read the robot's stride even better than the day before. It felt less like holding onto zero assists for three days and more like we kept finding spots where we didn't need one in the first place." Another member said, "Honestly, day one was just a scramble. By day three I think we finally understood, objectively, what kind of run we were putting together."

Tokiwado, the day-one leader, again posted a steady time on the final day, 1:41, but could never shake its one assist, finishing second overall. As previously reported, the human half of the team, which entered with a borrowed workplace cleaning robot, said, "Our time barely dropped over three days. Not shaking that one assist is frustrating, but the fact that our robot ran this much outside its usual job at all was itself a real gain."

Third place went, as previously reported, to the first-time port-worker team, which improved to 1:47 with one assist on the final day. One member said with a smile, "Over three days, the feel of staying in step with the robot genuinely changed. We want to be back next year." The rest of the field stayed separated by thin margins through the final day, and organizers said, "The fight for the middle of the pack staying hot to the end was one of this event's real rewards."

As previously reported, each team's modifications are kept within the bounds of the anti-humanoid-likeness regulation, with course-specific adaptations part of the event's draw. A member of the Robotics Legal Status Council, separate from the Dimensional Survey Division officials who judged the event, attended and said, "Seeing this much variety emerge within the regulation's bounds is useful to keep in mind for our debates." The three days overlapped with a broader run of stories about human-robot pairings making news, including the previously reported October 20 sellout of Shiomibashi's tickets.

Elsewhere in sports: the Tokei Sword Bearers' Association continues arranging a Round 4 rematch with the Owari Sword Bearers' Association for Shido Swordplay's 'Autumn Five Bouts.' Hexball's Round 8 is expected this weekend. In Tosatsu, informal practice continues between Gonzo Sawatari, 77, and Daichi Okonogi, 23, ahead of November's monthly tournament.

Kiko Run's next competition is set for next April. Organizers summed up, "With a team now on record for winning with zero assists, next time we might get to watch a contest between zero-assist teams. These three days have made April something to look forward to." The university student leading the winning team said, "I don't know if this same group will be back next year, but I want to pass on the record of having won with zero assists intact."