RP's robotics champs to compete in 2009 World Robotics Olympiad

MANILA, Philippines - Eight teams composed of elementary and high school students nationwide are set to compete in the 2009 World Robotics Olympiad to be held at Pohang City, South Korea next month, the Science Education Institute (SEI) reported Tuesday.

The SEI, an agency under the Department of Science and Technology, said the students are from the Philippine Science High School-Bicol Region, Science and Technology Education Center, Claret School of Quezon City, Grace Christian College, Dr. Yanga’s College, Makati Science High School, and First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities.

The said teams won in the 8th Philippine Robotics Olympiad (PRO) recently held at SM North Annex in Quezon City.

SEI Director Ester Ogena said the students would compete against 1,000 students from 32 countries in the 2009 World Robotics Olympiad in November.

Ogena expressed optimism that the winning teams would do great in the international competition. “Our students have shown their best and given more opportunities like these, we could tap more potential in the field of robotics. SEI will provide more support to our students who are joining these prestigious competitions so that they would acquire skills for robotics which could be tools for honing their talent in science and math,” she said.

Philippine Robotics Team won gold medal at the World Robotics Olympiad (WRO) held in Taiwan in November 2007.

Robotics is the science and technology of robots, their design, manufacture, and applications. Robots can either help in or replace human jobs. Robotics is related to electronics, mechanics, and software.    — Helen M. Flores