Team wins international robotic championships
Parktown – Helpmekaar pupils recently won Robotic World Championships.
A South African Robofest team, the Absent Minded, recently participated in an international competition, the Robotic World Championships at Lawrence Technology University, Michigan, USA for the world’s best robot that contributes to society.
The team, from Helpmekaar College, in Parktown, endured five months of hard labour to create the winning robot which was an independent initiative.
In April, the team proved their worth and won the national competition which awarded them an invite to participate in the world championships. The team explained that the basis of the robot was to test a person’s ambidextrous ability and then use it to develop a better link in the brain.
The disadvantage to society is that the world is mostly designed for right-dominant-handed persons and therefore a left-dominant-handed person is more at risk in the work place.
28 000 people died last year in work related accidents because of this.
According to the team, “The robot used many advanced technologies, like radio links from the control mechanism to control a robot on three axis.”
The enthusiastic team then did the robot construction work, the programming and then linked it with the control mechanism. They tested the robot in society and found that their hypothesis held truth. Their initiative won them the Denso First Place Award.
Bergbron resident Paul Oliver, who is currently in Grade 10, said that becoming a world champion is a dream come true.
“I really feel honoured to have been able to participate in the competition with the team that we had,” he said.
Meanwhile, Parkview resident Hyla Fourie said winning the championships was a life changing experience.
“Becoming world champion is really a life changing event that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Melville resident Thalita Burger agreed.
“It is one of the very rare and most valuable memories that I could ever experience. To be able to say that you are the best in the world is something that seems so unreal and is a privilege to represent my country and make them proud,” Burger said.
During the international championships all the participants at the competition voted for the best team, and the South African team also won the People’s Choice Award for the best exhibition.
