Whizz kids’ robots face off in epic battle at CIT

Robot wars clicked, blinked, and whirred into the lives of 500 Cork schoolchildren this week, their months of hard work culminating in 19 of their specially-created robots doing battle on the grounds of Cork Institute of Technology.

All were vying for pole position at the VEX IQ Championships, not to mention a coveted spot in the Robotics World Championship being held in the US this April.

Over the past number of months, primary pupils from 18 different schools were separated into teams and paired with mentors from EMC, a leading global IT company, who helped them with the design, building, programming, and testing phases of their robots.

We're "future proofing" STEM @CIT_ie this morning, @SmartFuturesIE #vexiq @ScienceWeek pic.twitter.com/mL4OtCaBdn

— Old Cork WaterWorks Experience (@lifetimelabcork) February 6, 2015

The initiative was designed to teach primary school children the value of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning and drive an interest in technology.

For the competition, the whizz kids designed and built robots using VEX technology which were programmed and remote-controlled to complete tasks.

All go here at #vexiq in @CIT_ie - competition is well underway #CIT #EMC @vexireland @EMCUKI pic.twitter.com/maLYYIjUI1

— MTU Science for Life (@MTUScience4Life) February 6, 2015

Yesterday, the finished products went head-to-head, each one fulfilling a series of tasks, such as moving small blocks from one area to another, gaining points along the way.

At the end, the school with the most points came out on top — pupils from Scoil Eoin, Ballincollig. The 6th class team of 20 pupils and their teachers, Leo Lowney and David Coughlan, live to fight another day, this time at the World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky.

Programme manager at EMC Martin O’Flaherty said he was thrilled that Ireland’s first primary school competition had received such an enthusiastic reception.

“As the global economy relies more on technological innovation, for Ireland to remain competitive it’s important that schools value investment in these skills,” he said. “We also extend our thanks to every pupil and teacher involved, and hope that they have enjoyed their experience as much as EMC has enjoyed working with some extremely able and inquisitive pupils.”

He also said while young children are “naturally inquisitive”, primary-level education in STEM subjects needs continued, dedicated investment, as well as the complementary expertise and practical knowledge of industry leaders.

While Scoil Eoin NS won the top prize, other schools were also recognised. Ballinora NS won the STEM Challenge; Scoil Mhuire NS, Ballincollig, won the Design Award; and Beaumont Girls School won the Sportsmanship Award.

Margo O’Sullivan, teacher of Scoil Mhuire’s winning team, said the event really inspired her pupils.

“Winning a prize at the VEX IQ championship is wonderful for the children. Over the past several months, VEX IQ has helped them channel their creative and practical energies into a challenging project that teaches them new STEM skills and ways of thinking,” she said. “Hopefully this will inform their decision as to what to study in secondary school and university.”