The need for engaging STEM education spaces is gaining global recognition at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) 2024 finals taking place in Turkey where a team from Curro Helderwyk in Gauteng will represent South Africa.
The school’s team was selected as the winners of the WRO National Event held at Curro Aurora in Randburg on 13 & 14 September. They are one of 11 South African teams invited to participate in the International Finals, showcasing the success of Curro’s innovative Coding and Robotics Curriculum, established in 2013.
This year’s theme, “Earth Allies”, saw teams tackle the challenge of creating a robotic solution to the devastating impact of climate change globally. The winning team named themselves "Green Guardian" and designed a robotic solution to ensure food security by protecting crops from sudden weather changes brought on by climate change. Their innovative system provides real-time weather monitoring to ensure 24/7 crop protection.
The highly adaptable, solar-powered technology is designed to detect extreme weather conditions and automatically deploys to shield crops from adverse conditions while reducing soil erosion.
One of the team members, Veer Mansingh, is looking forward to meeting other young leaders in STEM and the opportunity to learn new skills. “I love Robotics as it enables me to help engage in the world and contribute to society’s ongoing technological development,” says Mansingh.
I expect to have a fun trip to Turkey while being exposed to new experiences, interacting with other people, gaining more knowledge and learning new techniques.
Another team member, Liam Stoop, shares his enthusiasm for the opportunities that robotics has provided. “I am passionate about robotics because it has given me knowledge and skills that could open doors for me in the future. I’ve enjoyed exploring different aspects of robotics, such as coding, circuit building, and designing robots, which was really cool. In Turkey, I expect a positive outcome and look forward to learning more and gaining new experiences," he says.
Teammate Khanyisile Magangane echoes his sentiments, emphasising the importance of STEM in building a resilient future:
I view robotics as a science and an art that allows for the expression of creativity through innovative solutions. It enables me to bring my ideas to life and make a meaningful contribution to the world. Robotics has the power to open doors for many young people, and I aspire to be one of those individuals. With a lot of hard work put into our project, I am confident that we can anticipate a positive outcome in the WRO international competition in Turkey.
The team and their coach Anais Van Wyk are looking forward to highlighting South Africa’s STEM abilities in the finals on 28 & 30 November in Izmir, Turkey.
