3 Goan kids build robot, bag 11th rank in national contest

PANAJI: Ananya Naik, 12, Shounak Hede, 11, and Swayam Kakodkar, 13, made Goa proud as they went on to rank 11 in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) India Nationals (junior category).
Calling themselves Roborex Goa, they were the only team from Goa. It took them over six months to build a robot and to write over 5,000 blocks of codes to solve the problem. The team admitted that the task was very difficult, but completed it successfully.
WRO is a global robotic challenge-based competition that helps young people hone their creativity and problem-solving skills in a fun and engaging way.
The theme was ‘Park and Charge’ wherein teams had to build and programme a robot that organises the parking of cars and brings electric or hybrid vehicles a battery to charge.
The robot had to pick up vehicles at the entrance of the parking garage and bring them to the correct parking space depending on the type of vehicle and then distribute batteries for charging hybrid and electric vehicles.
The team was coached by Arya Khedeker, an IT professional based in Ponda, and the mother of one of the participants. Unlike in metro cities where professional coaching classes are available, the team managed the entire activity of building and programming the robot by themselves.
The team has won a number of other competitions, including team and individual awards in Hygiene Mania Coding Contest organised by FIRC (Future Innovators Robotics Competition) and have participated in Quark, a programme organised by BITS Pilani, Goa.