A team of budding roboteers who are gearing up for the prestigious FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), a global competition considered to be the Olympics of robotics, is calling on the community to put their hearts in their pockets and help them seize this golden opportunity to fly the flag on the world stage.
Twelve-year-old Joshua Bradfield from Somerset West and his fellow home-schooled mates, Mishca Miller, Thitha Tanda, Daniel Kruger, Rynhardt Visser and Dawid Kruger have set their sights on raising R20 000 to qualify for a robot starter kit required to compete and cover competition expenses. To achieve their target, the amateur robotics enthusiasts who are known as Autonova and led by coach Mynhardt Visser, have championed an online crowd-funding page where keen supporters can contribute monetary donations to help realise their dream to participate in the competition.
The FTC challenges teams of up to 15 members in Grades 7 to 12 to design, build, programme, and operate robots for head-to-head competitions in an alliance format, guided by adult coaches and mentors to develop STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills and practice engineering principles. The reusable robot kit can be coded in Java, and teams also raise funds, design and market their brand, and engage in community outreach to earn awards.
The group is currently participating in the Ignite sub-challenge to win a loan robot, which would help cover some competition expenses. This sub-challenge was created by Texpand, last year’s FTC winners, who experienced the difficulty of raising funds for building robots in South Africa. They initiated this competition to support FTC teams who are serious about the challenge, by providing a few with a loan unit to kick-start their FTC journey.
However, despite Autonova’s significant success having surpassed the requirements to qualify for a loan robot, winning it wouldn’t be enough. The team will require around R40 000 to compete effectively in South Africa and around R200 000 for international competitions, covering local, regional and national competitions, travel expenses, and robot upgrades as challenges become increasingly difficult.
Participating in FTC has provided the children with a comprehensive learning experience beyond just robotics and programming. They have also gained skills in fundraising, business planning, marketing, communication, and teamwork. They have learnt to code, compile, test, understand robotics and logic, develop a business model, build communication channels, set up social media and funding pages, and write marketing pitches. Invaluable knowledge, which gained through participation and with support, they hope to share in schools and communities where robotics isn’t really accessible; and inspire others.
Asked what inspired banding with friend to start a robotics team, Joshua said: “Just the idea that we can spend some more time together, tackling a challenge – something we all love!”
He further provided insight into what each team mate brings to the table, sharing that Mishca is focused and hardworking, and Thitha is competitive and strategic, while Daniel is calm and supportive, Rynhardt is passionate and creative, and Dawid knowledgeable and fun. “I am energetic and idea-driven,” he reckons.. To show support for Autonova, visit https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/help-autonova-reach-the-robot-olymics.
