V EDITION – ASTI ROBOTICS CHALLENGE

Last June the 5th we held the final of the V edition of ASTI Robotics Challenge.

This edition has been quite a different one… If you remember from past editions, this event was a crowded date to promote robotics as the solution for the future but from another perspective, we wanted to show the people that even children were able to design, program and control them. Robotics is gaining place in our daily lives!!

On 2020, when everything was ready for the final, we had to halt all as COVID broke into our lives as a hurricane. Then, we decided we were going to have our final as long as we kept security measures, and we launched the 2021 edition. But it was not fair for the teams who had registered in 2020 and had fulfilled the proposed stages. We arranged the best solution we could imagine, to offer the teams the possibility to pass three challenges we proposed them in order to get to a BIG Final Event.

Not all 113 teams had the capacity to react to our proposal, as they had to build by themselves the three challenges, but 25 teams were able to do it!!. We sent them the instructions to build them by using normal materials (paper, paperboard and glue). They assembled the challenges and tried to fit them in their schools, houses… The creativity went a step further; they had to use boxes, wood… or even their relatives’ work. By employing the new communication tools we were able to evaluate their performance, being able to select the first four finalists.

As the system worked quite well and the teams had more time to prepare the challenges, 73 teams joined to the 2021 edition and accepted the virtual semi final stage.

After these semi finals we had our 15 finalist teams!

Now we had to assure all participants were going to be safe, once again, we asked the teams, participants and volunteers to get a test to grant they were COVID –free.

They were great!! Everybody had their test done and all the teams travelled to Burgos to beat the Challenges developed by the Research and development department. Well, nearly all, the team G code had to remain home in Vigo… at least they had the chance to present their project to the jury.

The Human Evolution Museum in Burgos gave us a lot of support to assembly the challenges and have everything ready for the big day. As the event was going to be a bit smaller, we decided to use the last streaming solutions. Our first experience in Twitch!

The event was fantastic, but I am going to let you decide by yourselves…

Enjoy the video: https://youtu.be/LDfMZtaLbTM

This is only possible with the collaboration of other companies, aware of the need to stimulate the technology among the new generations and the society in general:

@astimobilerobotics; @museo-de-la-evolución-humana; @fundlacaixa; @amidata: @ifm; @exidegroup; @ppg-industries; @insercad-electronica; @fm-logistic-iberica; @sick-optic-electronic-s-a-; @blickle-hispania; @er-soft-sa; @sage-software; @orbel; @tecnopower; @contaval; @mariella Graziano; @carina gomes; @maxonglobal; @deltamotion; @cableadosjuez

Unfortunately they cannot get to know all those teachers who dedicate their spare time to the students to acquire new abilities, or all those students who use their homes as testing areas…

I am taking with me all the best: how nearly 300 students have been able to learn robotics while playing and competing with other students from all over the country.

Now… Are you ready to face a new ASTI Robotics Challenge? Because we are!

Lets welcome the VI edition of ASTI Robotics Challenge!