Recently, a Scots Year 7 student represented Australia in the preliminary round of the Kibo Robot Programming Challenge 2021, a global STEM coding competition. The event is presented by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in association with NASA and the space agencies of the Asia-Pacific region.
The team Dream Rover from Sydney Robotics Club included six primary and secondary students from Sydney competing against nine countries – virtually – that consisted largely of university students.
Dream Rover came 7th out of nine countries and 15 representing teams, earning the right to represent Australia and operate robots in real-time through the Space Station in September.
The Kibo Robot Programming Challenge was established to encourage students’ educational and professional goals. It provides them with the opportunity to learn new coding languages, authentic Astrobee code, and create innovative solutions to novel issues, such as: successful robot navigation in microgravity, with a large emphasis placed on team collaboration, problem-solving, and support.
As part of the Year 7 Technology program, students complete a 13-week Robotics unit and construct a working robot from a supplied kit. The boys learn how to program their completed robot, so that it performs tasks through sensor attachment, enabling the robot to interact with environmental factors.
As a part of the College’s Graduate Profile initiative, students research how robots and robotics applications can fit into communities, potentially providing a positive service. Boys document their work in an extensive design folio.
This is a demanding unit for all Year 7 students, with some boys rising to the challenge and demonstrating these skills in cutting-edge international competitions.
The Scots College congratulates the Dream Rover team on this impressive achievement.
Photo credit: Kibo Austalia
