UPPER Highway learners, Amy Elgin (St Mary’s DSG) and James Stirk (Forest View Primary School) took part in the World Robot Olympiad™ (WRO) recently, an event incorporating science, technology, education and robotics.

The KZN event took place at Curro Salt Rock where Team Robbie, Amy and James, coached by Brian Smith, were awarded third place in the Future Innovators category.

The theme for 2025 being The Future of Robots, Amy and James set out to achieve their chosen mission, AI Enabling Robots to Improve Life – AI in Daily Living.

The duo had recently visited the Ethembeni School in Inchanga and wanted to find a way to help the learners in wheelchairs and those who are blind to navigate around the school after seeing a blind student trying to navigate from the classroom to the library.

Also read: Hillcrest school powers ahead in e-waste challenge

They began by designing a robot that could go in front of the wheelchair, or sight impaired person. The robotic prototype included a LiDAR sensor and a camera able to detect and alert the student of any upcoming objects.

They also made use of artificial intelligence to see and respond to the surroundings and enabled real-time face detection and tracking.
Amy and James said they enjoyed participating at the regional event and hope to be selected for the national event taking place in September.

“They have continued working on their prototype and are continuously looking for ways to enhance their robotic solution, enabling their design to make an impact in the local community,” said their coach.

For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.