Mikrobot Academy shines at 2024 Robofest World Championship

This year, Mikrobot Academy had the distinct honor of representing Ghana in the junior category of the 2024 Robofest World Championship held in Michigan from May 9 to 11.

Four teams from the academy tackled a series of exciting and challenging tasks, ranging from programming autonomous taxi robots to engaging in sumo-style robot battles.

In January, the Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation (GRAF), the national organizer for the Robofest World Championship, organized the national qualifiers, where about 36 teams across the country competed for slots to represent Ghana in Michigan.

Following the qualifiers, four teams from Mikrobot Academy qualified for the Junior Category, while two from Right to Dream Academy, one from Apam Senior High School, and two from Prempeh College qualified for the Senior Category of the international competition in Michigan.

Under the guidance of their trainers, these young innovators embarked on a journey emphasizing critical thinking and problem-solving. They navigated the complexities of designing, building, and programming their robots, with the experience characterized by relentless effort, constant iterations, and innovation. The process was not without its ups and downs, but the teams demonstrated remarkable perseverance and creativity.

One of the standout achievements came in the Junior Game Category, where Team Tetrahedrons from Mikrobot Academy tied with a team from Jordan, both earning a perfect score of 100%. However, they were adjudged second due to the time tiebreaker. In the Junior Unknown Mission Challenge, Team Kapa Dynamics from Mikrobot Academy also secured an impressive second place.

The competition focused on advanced techniques such as geometry, degrees, logic, and computational thinking, crucial for precise movement and navigation.

Students also mastered localization and navigation, allowing their robots to understand and efficiently move within their environments, along with object detection and manipulation for interacting with various elements during the challenges.

We recognize the Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation (GRAF) for its indispensable role as the national organizer for the Robofest World Championship. We also extend our gratitude to the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, all coaches, parents, and partners for their invaluable support. Their assistance has been instrumental in enabling our teams to participate and succeed on this international stage.

Other results from Ghana’s delegation:

1st Place in BOTTLESUMO TIME TRIAL (Senior): Right to Dream Academy

1st Place in UMC (Senior): Prempeh College, winning by time with both 1st and 2nd teams earning 98.5%.

2nd Place in Senior GAME: Prempeh College tied points (a perfect score of 100%) with Taiwan as World Champions but were adjudged second due to the time tiebreaker.

Semi-finalist in BOTTLESUMO CLASSIC (Senior): Right to Dream Academy

We join in celebrating the success of all teams and look forward to their future endeavors in STEM fields.