Six young people from Girona between the ages of 15 and 17 will represent Spain at the Vex World 2024 robotics world championships, which will be held in Dallas (United States) from April 25 to 26. It is the third World Cup for the Purple Lions, the name of the Girona team that is formed at the Innova't Educació center in Girona.
"They are very good students academically and humanly, but going to the world championships is achieved by working hard," says the director of Innova't Education and team mentor, Dani Martín, who adds that "they have dedicated more than 400 hours since May when they announced the challenge.
The robot they have created must be able to place pieces inside some goals, defend its own and also go over a bar or hang from another.
The students between the third year of ESO and the first year of Baccalaureate Arnau Lladó, Paula Pibernat, Mireia Fontarosa, Lucas Vazques, Martí Garcia and Mer Ramíresson make up the Purple Lions team, which will participate in the robotics world championships in Dallas at the end of April.
They are entitled after having won the Spanish championships in February. Arnau Lladó, who is in his first year of high school at the Pere Alsius Institute in Banyoles, says that this year they have achieved "many of the objectives" that they set. In fact, they have won most of the awards they were eligible for.
Specifically, the six people from Girona have won the excellence award, the skills award and have been proclaimed champions of the tournament at the Internacional de Andorra. From the Regional phase of Gerona they came out with the excellence award and also won the tournament champions. Finally, in the state championship they repeated with the same three prizes as in Andorra. And this will be the third time they participate in the world championship.
"They have a lot of experience and can face the World Cup with much more ambition," says the director of Innovate Educación and team mentor, Dani Martín, who details that "they will try to reach the division finals." The first-year high school student at the Vilablareix Institute (Gironès), Paula Pibernat, expresses herself along the same lines, who hopes to do "a good role" in the world championships. "We hope to be well classified this year," says Pibernat.
What everyone agrees on is that gaining a place in this competition gives them "a lot of experience" because "the best teams in the world participate and once the competition is over, everyone shares the design of their robot." ·The one that the team has created in Girona incorporates two central wheels, "one vertical and one horizontal, which function as a coordinate system and allow it to have a more precise location, when it moves autonomously," shares Lladó.
They have been working on the robot since May, when the challenge was announced, which is different every year. The version that will compete in the United States is "completely new, made from the improvements that have been made to the initial robot." It is a metal robot with the ability to pick up and throw the triangular-shaped pieces contained in this year's game. They have also incorporated side wings to stop opposing robots, as well as an upper bar with which it can be hung. The robbery moves on wheels and is designed to be able to do it following the orders of a command or autonomously with programmed strategic movements.
With two weeks to go until they fly to the United States, the only thing they need to face the competition are sponsors to cover the expenses.
"We continue looking for funds because this year we have not yet covered the budget fifteen days before leaving," laments Martín, who says that without help "for families it is a very large investment, which is around 2,500 euros per person."
