Leaving a Footprint At International Robotics Olympics

Post by: Rubi Balami, Team RukuBot Member

While the rest of the world has moved forward in the fields of science and technology, our country of Nepal is not able to progress in this sector. That is one of the many reasons why the First Global International Robotics Olympics (IRO) has been a great opportunity for our school, our community, and our country.

This opportunity is not just about the one competition because it is providing the platform to progress in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This project, which has been introduced for the first time in our Shikharapur Community School with the help of Rukmini Foundation has gotten students and the community excited about these subjects.

We are Team RukuBot! We are from rural villages of Nepal where access to resources like technology and even electricity is very limited. Even though we lack in resources, we have a desire to learn and are creative. Before the arrival of the REV robotics kit, we designed some robots with locally available materials. This practice helped us a lot to design the parts of the robot after the arrival of the kit. We also learned a lot and enjoyed designing the arena based on the dimensions provided by FIRST Global. Even while building the arena, we lacked some materials, but we designed it with the help of the locally available materials that we could afford.

During the selection process, many students came to show an interest in Robotics

The International Robotics Olympics will be held in Washington DC in USA. Over a 100 countries will be participating in this competition, and Team RukuBot is very proud that we will be representing Nepal. This would not be possible without the help from Rukmini Foundation and FIRST Global. This Olympics is not just a competition for us. It is an opportunity for us to show that even students from the villages belong in this competition. Everything about this project has been completely new for us. We didn’t have any idea about robotics before this project, but thanks to the team members, mentors, Rukmini Foundation and our schools we are doing our best so that we can leave a footprint in the competition.

Our Game Arena. We are so proud of what we have been able to build together.

We may not be perfect in this game, but we are trying our best and we will do our best. We have faced many difficulties, but with the continuous effort of our team mentors, Satish Aryal and Sandesh Aryal, and through the continuous learning of the team members we are progressing. FIRST Global has the aim of spreading the importance of STEM worldwide, and we are very happy to be a new member of this family. Team RukuBot team is very excited about the upcoming competition. This is a matter of pride not only for our country, but for our community, our families, and the whole country.

Rubi