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“Science and technology depend on people, and Costa Rica’s future depends on her young people’s affinity for science and technology. In this regard robotics is a medium, an instrument, a path to opportunities to develop on a personal and professional level, with improved value-added employment prospects that can make a difference. The Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT) is very happy to support this initiative and we hope that many students will participate.”
With those remarks the Third National Robotics Olympiad launched yesterday with a ceremony at the posh Club La Union in downtown San Jose, right across from the historical Central Post Office building. Representatives from MICIT, Banco Nacional, the University of Costa Rica, and the National Technology Institute were present.
Students from grade schools, high schools, universities, and vocational institutes up to the age of 19 can enter the competition. There will be three categories organized by age, and the winners will represent Costa Rica at the 2012 World Robot Olympiad in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia later this year.
The winners will be selected in August, during the National Science and Technology Month. Aside from the institutions mentioned above, Lego’s Aprender Haciendo is an instrumental sponsor of the Robotics Olympics. Other sponsors include Intel and National Instruments, both major employers in Costa Rica.
What does it take to win at the Robotics Olympics in Costa Rica?
Participants have just one hour to assemble a robot that can carry on an autonomous task. Once assembled, contestants will have thirty minutes to program and test their robots.
The youngest students must build robots that can organize objects in a swift and efficient manner. The older students must build robots that can navigate obstacles to fetch and retrieve objects, as well as robots that can paint a board selecting from a complex color palette.
More details on the National Robotics Olympics are available from:
