Last August, I got the chance to compete at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) National Championship in Ontario, California. I had to program my robot to complete a series of challenges on a garden-themed LEGO course in under two minutes. I earned points for how well Johnny 5 cut grass, collected weeds, and rescued LEGO ladybugs. I finished in first place out of 21 teams in my age group.
Winning the championship earned me a spot in the WRO International Final in Dortmund, Germany, last November. This time, I worked with a partner, Luke, who had won second place at nationals. Together, we built a new robot and programmed it to finish tasks on a different course.
We didn’t win, but it was still an amazing experience. My favorite part was seeing other robots designed by kids from all over the world. It’s fun to share our ideas with each other.
If you like being creative, learning new things, and solving problems, give robotics a try. You never know where your creations might take you!