▲ Students who participated in the '2023 University Student Hackathon Competition' (Source: CWNU Waagle)

The '2023 University Student Hackathon Competition,' organized by the Department of Culture Techno at CWNU and the Gyeongnam Robot Land Foundation, successfully took place with support from CWNU's National University Development Project. The term “hackathon” is a compound word combining “hacking” and “marathon,” in which experts create plans or prototypes for idea generation and problem- solving within a certain period of time, in the field of software development. The theme of the competition was 'Our No.1 Tourism Destination, Robot Land,' and during the two- day period, participants planned strategies to transform Robot Land into Changwon's leading tourism site for all generations. Among the eight teams awarded, we interviewed Kim Soo- yeon, a student from the Department of Culture Techno, to learn more about the plan of the grand prize-winning work.

Q. Please introduce yourself.

Kim: Hello, I'm Kim Soo- yeon, a junior majoring in the Department of Culture Techno. I can now be considered an old- timer, as this is my fourth time in the competition and my first time as a grand prize winner.

Q. Why did your team decide to create a story with Robot Land characters?

Kim: One of the latest trends in content is to create a unique universe and tell a story within it. Everland and Lotte World are well- known for their unique mascot characters and distinctive stories. However, although Robot Land has been around for a long time, it doesn't have a unique character and story. Recognizing a lack of narrative strength to create a specific story using characters and a deficiency in the realization of the theme park's identity, we decided to address this issue. I once saw the phrase 'Robot Land, a world where robots and humans coexist' in an article, and I focused on it because it seemed to be the direction that Robot Land was going in.

Q. Can you tell us about the plot of 'Ro-lan Guardians?’

Kim: In a parallel world where robots and humans coexist separately, Robot Land emerges by chance and connects the two worlds. However, due to the instability of space, Robot Land faces a crisis, and the guardian robot 'Harmony' is the only hope to overcome the threat. To revive Harmony, who has been weakened by the curse of the villain 'Ultra Preston,' the representatives of the robot world, Rosha and Roco, along with the human Liu, unite to form the ‘Ro- lan Guardians.' The story ends as they set out on an adventure to lift the curse before the time of separation comes. Visitors become the protagonists of the adventure, experiencing crisis resolution in Robot Land's diverse facilities. Therefore, before entry, they watch an animated film about the story. Inside, they wear a 'Ro- tto Band,' which allows them to interact with devices to complete missions. Another activity is 'Find Harmony's hidden parts throughout Eduperience!' Visitors collect pieces of Harmony as they enjoy each Experience Center in the Eduperience Zone, and after collecting all the parts, they can exchange them for a keyring.

Q. Finally, please share your thoughts on participating in the hackathon competition.

Kim: Through this competition, I visited Robot Land for the first time. It turned out to be more enjoyable than I had expected, breaking the prejudice that it would be less fun than the famous amusement parks in the capital area. However, it was unfortunate that Robot Land was not promoted effectively. Despite the hard work of staying up for 2 days and 1 night, it was an unusual and rewarding experience to prepare in a darkened amusement park. It seems that I have been able to participate in the competition four times because of this unconventional effort. I highly recommend visiting Robot Land, where waiting times are short, and the entertainment is abundant!

Since its inception in 2019, the hackathon competition has become an annual event, with increasing participation from university students of different majors. Over the years, students have been creating diverse content, reflecting the unique aspects of the region, and integrating the latest technologies. Please give continued interest in this competition, which is crucial for regional culture development.

By Park Jeong-hyeon, reporter  jhgongju0903@gmail.com

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