Two learners from Reddam House Bedfordview, Grade Seven learner Syrus Stoltz (12) and Grade Five learner James Birch (11), won the 11- to 12-year category of the Inspired Builds robotics competition.

They entered the competition with their project, the Rhino Protector, an idea-led prototype that explores how technology could help deter poaching and protect wildlife.

Inspired Builds is a global inter-school technology challenge in which learners design, build and code solutions to everyday problems, with entries judged on creativity, functionality and real-world relevance across age-group categories.

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This year, participation spanned 111 schools in 24 countries across five continents.

The Rhino Protector is a camouflaged robot that uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect movement, deploy a simple trip line and trigger a loud alarm intended to scare a rhino away from danger while alerting people nearby.

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal, Life on Land, and the boys’ awareness of the ongoing threat of poaching in SA, inspired the concept.

Robotics teacher Brenda Kahl said the value of the project lies in the thinking and iteration behind it.

“This robot is incredibly simple, and even though it might need some added features before it is as effective as the [learners] hope, the process of developing the idea is where the learning happens.

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“The process of thinking about the problem, coming up with wild and way-out ideas to solve it and then thinking through the plan to come up with a prototype that the [learners] can actually build and code, creates a wonderful progression in the robotics class.

“This team has plenty of uncurbed imagination, the ingenuity to find the plan that works for them and the persistence to succeed.”

For Syrus and James, the most satisfying moment was seeing the mechanism finally work on camera after increasing the trip-rope speed so it deployed quickly enough.

“It was fun when it worked and we had to film it working,” they said.

Commenting on the recognition, teacher Stephen Hazley said it highlights the school’s emphasis on creativity in problem solving, “Teaching students to solve problems creatively builds imagination and innovation.

“Our recent win in the robotics competition reflects the strong STEM culture thriving in our school.”

The two are keen to keep building and competing through high school, with ideas to evolve their prototype, potentially adding features that help keep poachers at bay more safely while continuing to prioritise the animal’s welfare.
“It’s exciting to know the judges liked our idea,” they added.