The Finals of the International Ruby Programming Contest for Junior and Senior High School Students 2024 in Mitaka

• Opening
• Presentation by the Contestants
• Commentary/lecture

 

Contest Report

The “International Ruby Programming Contest for Junior and Senior High School Students in Mitaka” aims to foster younger people’s passion and dreams for the future through learning programming, experiencing the excitement of operating a computer by themselves, and presenting the work they have created. 

The final stage of the 13th International Ruby Programming Contest was held at Mitaka Industrial Plaza on Saturday, December 9, 2023.

Out of a total of 124 competition entries, 6 works in the game category and 5 in the web application/IoT category were selected for the finals.

Opening Ceremony

First, the opening address was given by Inoue Hiroshi, Chairman of the Executive Committee for the International Ruby Programming Contest for Junior and Senior High School Students and CEO of OSS-Vision Co., Ltd. Chairman Inoue expressed his gratitude to all involved who worked hard to organize the event, and mentioned that nine works selected from 137 entries were on stage today, and encouraged the presenters to fully demonstrate the results of their efforts and enjoy the event.

▲Inoue Hiroshi, Executive Committee Chairman

 

Then, congratulatory speeches were given by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, each of whom spoke about the importance of programming education and their expectations for young engineers.  There was a message that the presenters at this conference are the ones who will carry the future when generative AI and digital technology are rapidly evolving, which was very impressive.

Then the judges were introduced:
Chairman Matsumoto Yukihiro (the creator of Ruby)
Noda Tetsuo (Professor at the Department of Law and Economics, Faculty of Law and Literature, Shimane University)
Tanaka Kazuaki (Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Kyushu Institute of Technology), Sasada Koichi (full-time Ruby committer at STORES Inc.), Takahashi Masayoshi (Representative Director of Japan Ruby Association)
Mori Masaya (Specially Appointed Professor at Tohoku University and Advisor to the Japan Deep Learning Association)
Emori Mayumi (Executive Officer at KS Carrot Corp.)
They offered warm words of expectation for the presenters.
Furthermore, the sponsors, Sonic Garden Co., Ltd., Eiwa System Management Co., Ltd., and Pixiv Inc., were introduced, and each company gave words of encouragement, showing the high expectations they have for the presenters.

Finally, the presenters were introduced. Each of them had a look of nervousness and anticipation on their faces, but they all stood up enthusiastically and showed their enthusiasm.

 

   

 

Presentation by the Contestants

Grand prize/O.S.A Technology Award

Yamamuro Yuga, Ehime Prefectural Matsuyama Technical High School (Ehime Prefecture)
Title of Work: “Robot hunting"
 

        

[Presentation]
“Robot Hunting," created by Yamamuro Yuga, is a side-scrolling action game. Players use a variety of actions, such as jumping, shooting, and even switching between bullets, to conquer stages. Despite being a basic genre game, the game has attracted attention for its high quality with unique devices.
In particular, the pixel art designs for the characters and backgrounds used in the game were created by hand by Yamamuro and boast a high level of visual perfection. They effectively express a sense of depth and three-dimensionality in the background, enhancing the atmosphere of the game as a whole.
The technique of creating a sense of perspective by making full use of the background scrolling speed and adjusting lighting was highly praised by the judges, who commented, “It's amazing how such an effect can be achieved with such a simple program."

[Question and Answer Session]
The judges asked a flurry of specific questions about the production process and game design. Judge Takahashi asked about specific ideas for adjusting the difficulty level, and Yamamuro stated his intention to change the enemy appearance patterns from random to fixed.

[Award Ceremony]
“Robot Hunting" was selected as the Grand Prize winner in the games category, and was praised for its high level of completion and attention to detail. Judge Tanaka commented, “The overall work is wonderfully crafted, and the smooth scrolling and character movements show the creator’s great attention to detail." He also paid tribute to Yamamuro's efforts in overcoming technical challenges to complete the game.

Yamamuro said with confidence, “I am really happy to receive the grand prize. I would like to continue studying Ruby and create even better works."
 

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Excellence Award
Nohara Yoshito, Ehime Prefectural Matsuyama Technical High School (Ehime Prefecture)
Title of Work: “GHOST HOUSE"

     　 

[Presentation]
Nohara Yoshito's “GHOST HOUSE" is a horror action game in which you explore a mansion, shine light on ghosts, defeat them, and try to escape. The game also incorporates RPG elements, allowing you to search chests to collect items and adjust your game progress by selecting an encounter method. The game is designed so that players can enjoy the adventure while freely exploring the mansion, identifying the types and behavioral characteristics of ghosts.

Nohara explained the game's various features and innovations, interspersed with demo play.
- A multiple ending system, where the ending changes depending on the player's actions and choices, creating a system that allows for replayability.
- Unique enemy character designs with different abilities, encouraging players to tactically negotiate.
- To overcome the limitations of the DXRuby library, a virtual Z axis was created, achieving pseudo-3D rendering that gives a sense of depth.
He also provided a detailed explanation of the work he did to adjust the random elements by using Fiber class random numbers.

[Question and Answer Session]
The judges were very interested in the “smooth movement using the Fiber class" and “construction of a virtual Z axis." Chairman Matsumoto praised the random encounter system and the episode where the game specifications were improved based on feedback from friends.

[Award Ceremony]
“GHOST HOUSE" was awarded the Excellence Award for its technical ingenuity and creativity. Judge Sasada commented, “The technical ingenuity in every detail and the high level of completion are amazing."

Nohara added his congratulations to Yamamuro on winning the Grand Prize, saying, “Thank you for the Excellence Award. I'm also happy to be able to see the growth of my juniors."

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Special Jury Award 
Akiyama Soutaro, Ehime Prefectural Matsuyama Technical High School (Ehime Prefecture)
Title of work: “Zoo"

　 　    

[Presentation]
“Zoo" by Akiyama Sotaro is a simulation game set in a zoo where you control staff to take care of animals, collect money, and train staff. It does not require the reflexes of an FPS game, and can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages. Its unique appeal comes from the inclusion of RPG elements and a management system.
The staff designs are randomly generated, with different hairstyles, hair colors, and facial features, and these unique characters add color to the game. Additionally, animals have “mood values" and “likability levels" set, and inappropriate handling can make them feel bad and cause them to escape, so players must pay close attention, adding tension and realism to the game.
Akiyama said that he spent a lot of time on animal escapes, status management, and balancing between staff and animals, and that these efforts and ingenuity have resulted in a high level of completion for the game as a whole.

[Question and Answer Session]
The judges asked questions about the system for controlling two characters at the same time and the conditions for clearing the game. Judge Emori commented that the idea behind the animal damage system was unique and fresh.

[Award Ceremony]
“Zoo" was awarded the Special Jury Prize for its originality and expandability. Judge Noda commented that “It's an original, expandable game that's fun to make," and said he looks forward to seeing it continue to develop.

Akiyama said of his next goal, “I received the special prize even though it's incomplete, so once I finish it I can aim for the grand prize."

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(Headline)

Special Jury Award/Matz Award
Furukawa Chihiro, Team“@", Science and Technology Club,  Takizawa City Takizawa Second Junior High School (Iwate Prefecture)
Work title: “Maru-batsu"

　 　    
   

[Presentation]
Team “@"'s “Maru-Batsu" is a competitive game where you aim to win by lining up four circles or four crosses vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. While the rules are simple, a variety of items have been introduced that enhance the strategy, providing a deep playing experience. Items have the effect of strategically changing the board, giving players a variety of options, such as bombs (destroying the two squares below), smoke (obstructing vision), clocks (disappearing after a certain amount of time), and carmo (reversing the appearance of circles and crosses).
 “Maru-Batsu" also focuses on UI design, and is characterized by intuitive and easy-to-understand operability. In particular, in “one-handed mode," you can use the WASD keys to operate the cursor, and it is designed to be suitable for both right-handed and left-handed people.
Future challenges include improvements to CPU battles and more efficient code structure, and it is expected that the game will evolve into an even more in-depth competitive game.

[Question and Answer Session]
The judges asked questions about the game's strategy and UI design.
Judge Tanaka asked about “he feeling when actually playing a match," and praised the game for its random elements and strategy that create tactics between players.

[Award Ceremony]
Team“@" won the Special Jury Award and the Matz Award for their game “Maru-Batsu." Judge Emori praised the team, saying it was “a fun game that is simple yet highly strategic and addictive," and commented that she looks forward to seeing even more success from the team in the future.

 

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Grand Prize

Nishihara Misaki (Gunma Prefecture)
Work title: “EmoTrack"

 

[Presentation]
“EmoTrack," created by Nishihara Misaki, is a web app that uses voice to objectively measure stress and recommends relaxing music based on the results. It was designed to help users recognize stress in their daily lives and deal with it appropriately.
There are three main functions. 1) It uses the AmiVoice API for voice analysis to objectively measure stress based on involuntary emotions. You can accurately grasp your stress state through objective stress evaluation. 2) It recommends music at 60-80 BPM, which is close to the resting heart rate, according to the stress value. The recommended music is connected to Spotify and can be played immediately. 3) Equipped with an “Emotion Diary" function that allows you to record daily events and emotions. When you record your voice, it is automatically transcribed, making it easy to keep a diary.
It also has a statistics page that shows long-term changes in stress, and was highly praised for its practicality in supporting self-management.

[Question and Answer Session]
During the Q&A session, the judges asked questions about the voice analysis system and the technical implementation of the app. Judge Sasada praised the app's ingenuity in streamlining the app by asking about the system that executes voice analysis as an external process.

[Award Ceremony]
“EmoTrack" was selected as the Grand Prize winner for its high level of completion and original idea. Judge Sasada commented, “It's highly integrated, combining not only emotion analysis, but also a variety of functions such as music recommendations and an emotion diary, and the mechanism for encouraging continued use is impressive." He also expressed his expectations for further refinement.

Nishihara expressed her gratitude, saying, “I'm really happy to receive such recognition for the first app I developed in earnest," and said she wants to continue programming in the future.

 

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Excellence Award/Sonic Garden Award

Koizumi Mana (Tokyo)
Work title: “VisPhys"

 
   

[Presentation]
“VisPhys," created by Koizumi Mana, is a simulation site to support physics learning. By visually recreating situations that appear in physics problems (mechanics field), it provides a learning environment where you can learn while having fun.
Regarding the background to the creation of the work, Koizumi said that it was inspired by an experience she had in a physics class where she “had difficulty understanding a problem because she couldn't visualize the movement."
“VisPhys" is equipped with a function that can simulate 12 typical physics problems in real time, and you can freely customize variables such as restitution coefficient, speed, and mass, and observe the movement due to changes. In addition, the simulation results can be saved and shared, and other users can write on the screen in real time.
Technically, she used Matter.js for drawing and Fabric.js for canvas manipulation, and she also used Ruby WebSocket to realize real-time sharing functionality, enabling smooth collaboration.

[Question and Answer Session]
The judges asked questions about the background of the template creation and future functional expansion. Judge Noda asked, “How did you create the 12 types of templates?" and praised Koizumi for creating each one by hand, referring to a physics workbook.

[Award Ceremony]
“VisPhys" won the Excellence Award and the Sonic Garden Award for its practicality and learning-support point of view. The judges also praised it for being “an innovative tool that visually supports the learning of physics" and for its “high expandability that allows sharing between learners," and expressed expectations for future functional expansion.

Koizumi expressed her gratitude, saying, “I am very happy to receive this award. I would like to express my gratitude to the teachers at the programming school and my family."

 

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Special Jury Award/Matz Award/pixiv Award
Shiiba Yuna (Tokyo)
Title of work: “My Profile Book"

 

[Presentation]
“My Profile Book," created by Shiiba Yuuna, is a web app that allows users to exchange profile books online. Profile books are a digitalized version of the paper-based culture in which friends write down their names, hobbies, and favorite things and share them with each other, and are intended to provide an opportunity to make friends at the start of the new school term. In his presentation, Shiiba explained the social effects of profile books, using her own experiences from elementary school. “Profile books create an opportunity to talk to people you meet for the first time, and help expand your relationships," she said, emphasizing the convenience and potential of the digital version.

“My Profile Book" allows you to choose color themes and stamps, as well as freely customize questions. Profile information is exchanged in a one-to-one communication format (unicast), and data is encrypted for safe use. In addition, the app is designed to be simple and intuitive, so anyone can easily operate it, from creating to sharing and editing.

[Question and Answer Session]
The judges asked questions about the design of the profile book and the technical ingenuity. Judge Tanaka asked “How did you achieve the layout changes?" to which Shiiba replied “A system using JavaScript and Ruby." Judge Takahashi asked “What was your plan for implementing asynchronous communication?" to which Shiiba replied “I aim for comfortable operability that allows updates without reloading," and was praised for her application skills.

[Awards Ceremony]
“My Profile Book" was highly praised for its use of digital technology to evolve analog culture, and was awarded a triple prize: the Special Jury Award, the Matz Award, and the Pixiv Award.

Shiiba said, “I am very happy to receive this award. I would like to continue producing a variety of works and making tools that will be useful to many people," showing her enthusiasm for further challenges.
 

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Special Jury Award/Eiwa Award

Tachihara Kazutoshi, Kometa Jiku 
Team “ Future Chrysanthemum Division," Ibaraki Prefectural IT Future High School (Ibaraki Prefecture)
Title of work: “Chrysanthemum Irrigation Device"

     

[Presentation]
Team IT Future Chrysanthemum Division has developed a “chrysanthemum irrigation device" that combines hardware and software to improve the efficiency of chrysanthemum cultivation. This system is composed of a device based on “Raspberry Pi" that automates irrigation, and a web application that allows remote operation and monitoring.
The presenters explained how the team solved the problem of maintaining the quality of chrysanthemums during summer and even during long holidays in order to participate in the local traditional event, the Kasama Chrysanthemum Festival. The sensor measures the “moisture" of the soil to determine the need for irrigation. Water is supplied to the chrysanthemums at the appropriate time, while the camera sends the captured images to Google Drive. In addition, the web application allows manual operation of irrigation and checking the weather forecast, allowing users to understand the situation in real time and take the necessary measures. On the technical side, an efficient system was built using the Sinatra framework and pigpio library. This project was highly praised as a practical initiative that combines IoT and web technology.

[Question and Answer Session]
The judges asked questions about technical details. Judge Emori praised the team's cooperation through a question about the division of roles. There was also a discussion about the need for security measures, and expectations were high for future developments.

[Award Ceremony]
The “Chrysanthemum Irrigation Device" was recognized for its high level of practicality in solving social issues, and received the Special Jury Award and the Eiwa Award. Judge Tanaka commented, “ The integration of hardware and software to solve IoT problems is brilliant."

Tachihara spoke about future developments, saying, “I want to continue evolving this," and Kometa expressed his gratitude for receiving the award, saying, “I'm grateful to receive this award."
 

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Special Jury Award

Ryu (Kanagawa Prefecture)
Title of work: “ Proud Speech "

　 　  

[Presentation]
“Proud Speech," created by Ryu Junsei, is a web app that reduces anxiety in everyday conversations and improves communication skills. The app allows users to record their speech and receive objective feedback from a third party, aiming to evaluate and improve the appropriateness and communicativeness of speech.
Recorded data can be posted with tags and titles, and evaluators can provide their opinions through “emoji emotions" and comments. It also has search and random browsing functions, so users can use it while maintaining anonymity.
The app was designed using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby, and was efficiently built using the Sinatra framework. Recorded data is stored in a database, and Google Sign-in and asynchronous communication using Ajax provide comfortable operability.
In addition, it features an intuitive UI and beautiful design, and recording data and feedback results can be viewed as visual graphs.

[Question and Answer Session]
Judge Tanaka pointed out “the impact on changes in the timing and quality of the evaluation content," but Ryu explained that “the main purpose is to alleviate users' concerns, and receiving a good evaluation gives them a sense of satisfaction."

[Award Ceremony]
“Proud Speech" received the Special Jury Award as a groundbreaking tool that reflects social needs and relieves communication anxiety. Judge Emori praised the product for its “high level of technical perfection and idea for helping to relieve anxiety," and expressed his hope for further functional expansion.

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【Comment and Special Lecture】

Matsumoto Yukihiro, Chief Judge

Closing Ceremony

▲Yoshida Sumio, Vice Executive Committee Chairman

At the closing ceremony of the International Ruby Programming Contest for Junior and Senior High School Students 2024 in Mitaka, Vice Executive Chairman and President and CEO of Machizukuri Mitaka Co., Ltd., Yoshida Sumio, delivered a speech. He praised the efforts of the prizewinners, noting that this year's contest attracted a large number of 137 entries, which were of a higher level than usual. He also expressed his gratitude to the sponsors, judges, and executive committee, and thanked all those involved in the running of the contest. He expressed his hope that the prizewinners will continue to take on new challenges and soar to great heights, and the 2024 contest came to a successful close.