Ms Deborah King
Primary Teacher
In the final week of school of quarter 3, on the 16 March, ACS Jakarta hosted our first inter-school robotics competition ‘The Battle of the Robots’. Five schools from around Jakarta joined and excitedly participated in, what was for many, their first inter-school competition. Teams of students were tasked with designing and building a robot to play against other teams.
There were three categories in the competition and in each category the students had to ‘Build It and Battle It’. The first category was for grades 1 to 2, and the objective was to build a ‘Factory Bot’ and then race it against their competitors. For grades 3 to 4 the students had to build a ‘Sorting Bot’, program it and then use it to compete against their fellow schools to see which robot could sort the blocks the fastest. The final category was for grades 5 to 6. Students made an ‘Advanced Soccer Bot’ which they then programmed and raced against other teams to see which bot could collect the most balls.
This competition wasn’t only a chance for the students to showcase their STEM skills, overcome challenges and solve problems, but it also enabled them to share their learning con experiences and enhance their communication and interpersonal skills. The students quickly made friends from other schools as they shared their passion for robotics.
This competition fostered collaboration and teamwork, requiring students to take on challenging tasks whilst at the same time having fun. All in all, it was a great introduction to robotics competitions, and we can’t wait until the next one