"This robot has an operational system that can lock the target to be shot," Hisyam Wahono, a member of the Never Before team, stated here, Tuesday.
The robot called WowWi beat 158 robots from other countries. The jury was impressed and gave high scores to WowWi, as it was the only robot using the system of locking its target, Wahono remarked.
At the contest, every robot should be able to separate dirty from clean water that were simulated using orange and blue balls.
Every contestant had to undergo seven tests during the competition.
At the start, WowWi failed in the first test, but later, the team changed the strategy during the remaining six tests by highlighting its superior system, which is its capability to lock onto the target.
Every robot was also required to be efficiently resistant to flood attack.
WowWi was created within two months using limited materials decided by the organizing committee.
The Indonesian students from the Islamic Senior High School "Technonatura" located in Depok, West Java, won a silver medal in the Ustad Ahmad Lahori Award for Innovation in Engineering and for being able to demonstrate creativity and innovation in building their robot to complete an aspect of the challenge.
The gold medal went to Latvias team and bronze to a Spanish team.
Principal of "Technonatura" Tras Rustamaji said his school has made technology the main subject in the school curricula.
The Never Before team was fully supported by state telecommunication company PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia that had funded the research, high-speed internet, and accommodation during the competition in Washington D.C.
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST Global with the mission of rousing interest in science and technology development among the two billion youth of the world and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to obtain necessary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills to overcome the greatest challenges that the world faces.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
