By The Star Staff
The Puerto Rican delegation to the VEX Robotics World Championship 2023 returned from Dallas, Texas, with five awards in various events, including one of the most prestigious, said Kelianet Roque, project director of the nonprofit Caribbean Robotics Academy (CRA), and official coordinator at the local level.
“We are extremely proud and happy for them, since they had an outstanding participation that was recognized even by the leaders of REC Foundation, the organizing entity of this competition,” Roque said.
“These awards are a sample of the talent, skill and dedication of our Puerto Rican students in robotics. Congratulations to our students for their great achievement!” CRA Executive Director Pedro Alvarado said.
Students from Hogar Colegio La Milagrosa in Arecibo won the Innovate Award, which is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the competition. The Adianez School team won the Create Award and the KHU Inventors team, composed of homeschooling students and public school students, won the Judges Award. Students from the CIMATEC school, who managed to qualify for the world championship after winning the Online Challenge, received their trophy during the event and also received the Energy Award for their enthusiasm throughout the week.
“The Innovate Award is given to teams that demonstrate innovative design and strategy in competition,” Alvarado said. “This award is a sign of the commitment of our students to seeking creative and effective solutions to the challenges of the competition.”
He added that the Judges Award recognizes teams that impress judges with their creativity and exceptional teamwork.
“This award is a great testament to the dedication and teamwork of our robotics students,” Alvarado said.
The Create Award is given to teams that demonstrate excellence in the design and construction of their robot, by recognizing the effort and technical skill of students in creating a high-performance robot.
“The Energy Award highlights the passion and dedication our students have for robotics and their willingness to overcome challenges with enthusiasm and energy because it recognizes the teams that show great energy, enthusiasm and commitment during the competition,” Alvarado said.
The Puerto Rico delegation to the VEX Robotics World Championship 2023 was composed of 41 students from the intermediate, high school and university levels, some with up to six years of experience in robotics competition. It also included students from Colegio San José de San Juan, the Municipal Robotics Club of Salinas (2 teams), the Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico and Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.