Elizabeth Moir Team School Flies to Goa for FIRST Tech Challenge 2024
A Robotics team from Elizabeth Moir School is set to be the first team from Sri Lanka to take place in the prestigious FIRST Tech Challenge when they take part in the South Asian Regionals held at the Goa International Robotics Festival in India. The students involved are no strangers to such competitions; Elizabeth Moir School has prepared teams of students to represent Sri Lanka in the FIRST Global Challenge, a sister competition to the FIRST Tech Challenge, for the past 7 years.
FIRST aims to develop interest and inspire careers in engineering and technology. The various competitions organised by FIRST are highly reputed events known for fostering innovation. The teams organised by Elizabeth Moir School have established themselves as among the very best in the world. They won the prestigious Judge’s Award for design in Mexico City in 2018, in Dubai in 2019 and in Singapore in 2023. In Geneva in 2022, they won a Gold Medal after winning the Zhang Heng Award for Engineering Design.
For the FIRST Tech Challenge in Goa, the team approached nearly 50 organisations in search of sponsorship. Their persistence was rewarded when RoboticGen and Zodiac DBS took on the role of main sponsors, which will allow the students to travel to India. Import restrictions and financial constraints caused by the economic crisis still did not allow the team to purchase many of the required parts. Undaunted, the students 3D-printed various parts of their robot, including the arm, plane launcher and wheels required for the competition. The final result is a durable and powerful product that is sure to give rival robots a run for their money.
The obstacles thrown their way have only showcased the determination and adaptability of the Elizabeth Moir team in the face of adversity. The students’ unwavering commitment to their goal was evident in how they overcame each issue and how they worked tirelessly through the December holidays, even on Christmas Day.
As the Elizabeth Moir team prepares to represent Sri Lanka on the global stage, their journey serves as an inspiration to other aspiring innovators in the country and highlights the importance of nurturing and supporting young talent in the field of Robotics. We wish them the best of luck for the FIRST Tech Challenge South Asian Regionals as they aim to win one of two places in the final rounds in the United States in April. As team member Tharul Senanayake said: “Our journey is not just about building robots; it’s about overcoming challenges, pushing boundaries, and inspiring a new generation of innovators. We’re ready to present our talent on an international stage and we believe that this is just the opening chapter to our story.”