Local students up to robot challenge

Students from the region will head to Perth next month to compete in a robotics competition as part of the Primary Extension and Challenge program.

A group of Busselton, Dunsborough and Margaret River students have been learning to program and build a variety of robots which they will take to the RoboCup Junior WA competition at All Saints College in Perth on Saturday, June 10.

The group has been programming the robots to compete in soccer and dance categories as well as a rescue competition which mirrors the real-life use of robots to rescue people from life-threatening situations.

PEAC co-ordinator Esther Workman said the program was offered to gifted and talented Years 5 and 6 students in the public sector.

“We focus on independent learning, creative and critical thinking and problem solving,” she said.

“They are given open-ended tasks and so they need to decide how to do things themselves.”

Ms Workman said the robotics program was a great STEM activity which developed skills in science, technology, engineering and maths.

The competition, which started through Scitech, has grown from 300 to about 600 participants in the last five years and this year expanded to include a range of extra events and competitions.

Ms Workman said the competitions gave the students a chance to meet like-minded peers and something to focus on.

The students will participate in a range of workshops in the morning before competing in the competition round in the afternoon.