Decades ago, the only robots we knew about were what we’d see on TV or in films.
From ‘Lost in Space’ to ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century’, not to mention C-3PO and R2-D2 of ‘Star Wars’, our imaginations ran wild at the sight of machines interacting with human beings.
Now, in the 21st century (a few behind the time of fictional Captain Rogers), the advancements of robot technology mean that the fantasies of yesteryear could be the realities of the future.
To get an idea of what’s in store, you can take the whole family to the 2022 Minds Inspired FIRST Tech Challenge on Saturday, 26 March, happening at the Arts and Recreation Centre in Camana Bay from noon to 5pm. This is an annual competition that has seen some fascinating entrants in the past.
For example, in 2020, the event challenged students to imagine the cities of the future and design a robot that could overcome any obstacles that stand in the way of building a superstructure. The Cayman International School claimed victory that year, and everyone is waiting to see who will take first prize this time around.
For the 2022 competition, there are 10 robots in play, with approximately 80 students from five Cayman Islands high schools, and a team of volunteer mentors that officiate the event. The transportation-themed match is titled ‘Freight Frenzy’. Just as before, public and private school teams will form alliances, with participants hoping to be chosen for the Cayman National Robotics Team.
The group of volunteer engineers and STEM professionals officiating the event includes Namitha Abraham, an electrical engineer and robotics mentor in the programme, who touts the value of students learning robotics for the transferrable skills it provides.
“Irrespective of what the task is at hand, the skills you develop from robotics are transferrable,” she said. “Having worked with youth in robotics, it’s their skill sets – not whether they managed to get the gear ratios correct, but did they go through the right process to find the gear ratios? It’s the mental development – robotics is great for that because it pushes multiple areas of your brain at the same time so it gives you a wider development of your skill set.”
There are more than bragging rights on the line here. Those selected to join the national team will attend the FIRST Global Challenge in Geneva, Switzerland in October 2022, where young people from more than 180 nations will unite to compete in the Olympics-style robotics competition.
“Participants will see how they can compete to each provide better solutions, but more importantly, how they can work together. We’re all on the same team. We’re all competing with the same global challenges. The FIRST Global Challenge enables kids around the world to all participate in solving problems, and cooperate with each other to solve the world’s problems,” said FIRST Global Founder and renowned inventor, Dean Kamen, on the FIRST Global website.
Dart’s senior manager education programmes, Glenda McTaggart, who facilitates the Cayman competition, said in a press release, “It’s a family-friendly event for all to attend, whether you are cheering on a student participating or if you have no idea about robotics and want to come to learn more.”
| The Robotics Challenge on 26 March at ARC is free of charge and all are welcome to attend. For more on the FIRST Tech Challenge, visit mindsinspired.ky.
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