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Pepper Raises Plastic Pollution Awareness for Elementary Students

Pepper Raises Plastic Pollution Awareness for Elementary Students

Pepper lectured students about marine pollution at an open classroom event held at Yoshikawa Elementary School in Kameoka City, Japan

On November 19, 2019, Pepper —the humanoid robot developed by SoftBank Robotics Corp.— taught elementary students about environmental issues at an open classroom event held at Yoshikawa Elementary School in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The special event was part of a new collaboration between SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) and Kameoka City for environment and education programs.

Pepper was a hit with the students

Pepper was a hit with the students

Pepper spoke about how plastic pollution is becoming a major problem worldwide and explained why the environment is integral to people’s daily lives. Yoshioka Elementary students listened intently to Pepper for the duration of the lecture and were quizzed from time to time. After class, one student commented, “I want to tell everyone at home about what I learned from Pepper.”

Kameoka City is a leader in the fight against plastic pollution. In 2012 it was Japan’s first inland city to host the Marine Litter Summit, and in the same year it launched a plan to clean up the Hozu River, a picturesque waterway that originates in Kameoka and flows into other rivers before reaching the Pacific Ocean. As part of its commitment to be an environmentally friendly city, the municipality signed the “Kameoka Zero Plastic Waste Declaration” in December 2018.

Kameoka City and SoftBank Corp. representatives at signing ceremony for collaboration in environment and education programs

Kameoka City and SoftBank Corp. representatives at signing ceremony for collaboration in environment and education programs

The “Environment and Education Program Collaboration Agreement” between SoftBank Corp. and Kameoka signed on October 30, 2019 is also part of the city’s environmental commitment. At the signing ceremony, Mayor Takahiro Katsugawa said, “We’re promoting environmental education at our schools to become a leading environmentally-friendly city. Utilizing SoftBank’s know-how, we want to introduce new environmental information to students by using Pepper.”

Masato Ikeda, a SoftBank Corp. Senior Director in charge of the CSR Division, commented, “Our Robo Blocks School Template allows instructors to teach new programs to students by utilizing Pepper. In addition to environmental education, we’ll work closely with Kameoka City to bring new educational programs to students.”

(Posted on January 21, 2020)
By SoftBank News Editors