Over 30 elementary and secondary schools participated in the 2011 National Robotics Competition held today in the activity center of TriNoma in Quezon City. A total of 117 teams with 3 to 6 members competed. Each team was required to build a robot within the specifications of their chosen categories, and each robot was required to perform specific tasks.
Over 300 students from dozens of elementary and secondary schools participated in the annual robotics competition, held at TriNoma, Quezon City. Photo credit: Oneal Rosero
The students came from all over Luzon; many were from within Metro Manila, while some came from as far as Isabela, Valenzuela and Pangasinan. Boys and girls alike assembled their robots and worked on programming their machines to perform the required tasks. There were 4 categories to join. The Robotech Challenge had teams build robots that could be used for environmental clean-up. Students from Grace Christian College built a large crane that would pick out garbage from Metro Manila’s waters without harming the local wildlife. Their design won them first place in the Robotech Challenge. Malayan Science High School took home the second prize, and Philippine Yuh Chiau High School won third place.
A veritable phalanx of robots, all ready for battle. Photo credit: Oneal Rosero
In the Agribots in the City category, 11 teams of 6 members each vied for the prize. Each team built two robots, which had to navigate two areas within the competition arena, following lines on the floor to guide the way. One robot had to be programmed to gather colored objects, representing plants and animals, from one area, and transport them across a bridge to the second area. The other robot was needed to turn on switches representing different farm activities: feeding the animals, lighting the farm, irrigation, and the sprinkler system. These actions had to be completed in the proper sequence. Some robots had arms extending out front, to gather the objects and herd them to their destination. Sensors around the robots detected the lines they were supposed to follow, and kept them from bumping into the walls, the model houses and the other robots.
Robots waiting it out in the sidelines. No, those aren't "horns." They're for picking up stuff. Photo credit: Oneal Rosero
Third place in the Agribot category went to Grace Christian College. Second place went to the all-girl team from Greenland Academy. The champions were Harris Memorial College. 103 3-person teams joined the Sumobot category. Some schools like Claret School on Quezon City and Grace Christian School sent multiple teams to join each category. In the Sumobot Junior category, each robot had to weigh no more than 500 grams, and its dimensions must not exceed 15 by 15 centimeters. The Sumobot Open category was for bigger robots. In both Sumobot categories, two robots would face off in three rounds. The challenge was for one robot to push the other out of the sumo ring. Students cheered as the matches were aired on the big LED screen on the stage. Many robots were armed with inclined planes that served as shields against their opponents, while others were built with power and traction in mind. Other teams focused on speed and agility, even using actual sumo wrestling techniques to outsmart their opponents.
Robot entries came in all shapes and sizes. Photo credit: Oneal Rosero
In the Sumobot Open, teams from Grace Christian College took home third and second place. The champion team came from Grace Christian College as well. The winners of the Sumobot Junior category were: In third place was Asian Computer College. Second place went to Philippine Yuh Chiau School. The champions were the Small World Christian School Foundation all-boys team. Winners of the Sumobot categories won robotics kits, while the winner of the Agribot competition will be sent to Indonesia to participate in an international robotics Olympiad.
Making robots looks like child's play to these kids. Photo credit: Oneal Rosero
The competition organizers provided a robotics kit for teams in each category, but the students were allowed to bring their own materials as well. Each robotics kit costs at least Php 9,000. Construction and programming happened from 10:00 AM to noon. The competition proper started at 1:00 PM, after opening remarks from Genetic Computer Institute President Anthony Gabitan, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte-Alimurong and Conrad Sing Lai Huat of INEX Singapore. Said the vice mayor, “I am very grateful to Genetic Computer Institute for providing support and opportunities to these students. I believe that using technology in education is the way towards development. But I am very sad to hear that the participants from Quezon City are all from private schools. I really hope to provide equal opportunities for the rich and the poor, and we are already discussing ways to bring this robotics program to public schools. Hopefully next year we will have teams from Quezon City public schools in the competition." The event was presented by Genetic Computer Institute and Ice Watches, and sponsored by Pinoy Robot Games Foundation, INEX Innovative Experiments, TriNoma and Ayala Malls.
— TJD, GMANews.TV 
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