Robotics Competition: Record Number of Participants at RoboLeague 2024

Explore robotics, fun included

“Join the RoboLeague” was the call on May 16, 2024 to middle and high schoolers from Styria, Carinthia and Burgenland. 134 young people entered their robots in the KNAPP robot competition to compete against each other in various categories. The 6th event in the series was the most popular since its inception.

54 teams entered this year’s RoboLeague competition and used their robots to fulfill ticklish tasks. The robotics competition has been taking place since 2017, with the goal of preparing middle and high school students for the digital future in an engaging way. With five years under its belt, the competition has entered the next round, including new problems to solve and new robot systems. After an exciting day full of teamwork and tinkering, the winning teams mounted the podium. The victors hailed from the high schools BG/BRG/BORG Köflach, BRG Petersgasse, BRG Kepler, the junior high Mittelschule Semriach and Dobl. At the awards ceremony, in addition to rounds of applause, the young technical talents received cinema vouchers. More than 20 KNAPP apprentices were there during the event to help make sure everything went off without a hitch.

Passion for technology and automation at the robotics competition

RoboLeague is not just a competition, but an opportunity for high school and junior high school students to discover their own passion for technology. “Encouraging students in the areas of robotics and programming is an important strategy in overcoming the growing shortage of qualified personnel in key industries. When we can get young people and especially girls interested in technology at an early age, we lay the cornerstone for a good, qualified workforce in the future,” says Wolfgang Scrabitz, Managing Director at KNAPP Industry Solutions, underscoring the significance of the RoboLeague competition. KNAPP is also a founding member of the MINTality Foundation, which supports women in pursuing exciting careers in tech, such as in mathematics, informatics, natural sciences or technology (MINT).

New objectives at RoboLeague 2024

RoboLeague 2024 offered young people the opportunity to test their creative and technical skills in new competitions. With Follow the Wall and Follow the Road, the robots had to navigate along a wall or pre-defined path to the target position. The right room had to be found in the Find the Rooms task and for the task Find the Bricks, the robots had to find bricks to collect points. Along with the new contests, there was Search and Rescue, a classic at the RoboLeague, which has been a favorite of students over the past years.

Innovative robots set new best performances

An exciting new addition to RoboLeague 2024 is the robot kit Makeblock^® mBot2, used alongside the proven LEGO^® Mindstorms EV3. Thanks to the new robot system, schools that are not equipped with the discontinued model Mindstorms EV3 can participate. With the standard hardware expanded, teachers received comprehensive training. Students prepared for the competition during class and gave their robots the finishing touches on the big day.

The robotics competition was founded in collaboration with the BRG Kepler school and serves as the perfect introduction for other robotics competitions such as the RoboCup Junior and the RoboCup.

For more information, please visit https://www.roboleague.at/

KNAPP RoboLeague 2024 winners: