Greek Students Ranked Top in Europe at World Robot Olympiad

Greek students ranked top in Europe and fourth worldwide among 451 teams from 90 countries at the World Robot Olympiad that took place recently in Panama.

The World Robot Olympiad is one of the most important international competitions in the world, as it highlights the importance of technology and science in creating a more functional world, through the inventive eyes of young people.

Greece won 2 bronze medals, as well as 2 honors in fourth and eighth place. In recent years Greek students have received numerous awards, winning 9 medals and 20 awards.

Yiannis Somalakidis, President of WRO Hellas, the main entity conducting robotics competitions in Greece and Southeast Europe, could not hide his excitement for the achievement of Greek students.

Greek students 4th world power in the Robotics Olympiad

“We became the 1st European and 4th world power in the Robotics Olympiad,” Somalakidis said. “It is worth reminding that the teams that take part in the Olympiad have taken first place in the pan-Hellenic competition.”

“Congratulations to all the youngsters, to the coaches who give their best, and to their families who support them,” he said. “See you next year at the next Robotics Olympiad, which will be held in Smyrna.”

“With the 4th place in the world, the new generation of our country shows once again its potential,” Panagiotis Gavrielidis, Chief Marketing Officer of OTE Group which sponsors the Greek students said.

“Many congratulations to the young guys who are providing solutions to contemporary issues and envisioning a better future. With the limitless possibilities of technology, our young people are creating a better world for everyone,” he added.

The seven teams of the Greek participated in the World Robot Olympiad were the Minders, the Smartbirds, BitLab, Teamword Happiness, Save Energy, JoFre, and Evripos Robotics.

In particular, two bronze medals were won by the BitLab teams in the RoboSport category, i.e. in doubles tennis with robots, having lost only one match, and the Minders team in the High School Future Innovators category with the “Aquabyte” project.

The fourth place in the High School Future Innovators category went to the Smartbirds team with the project “Hermes,” a robotic system that can intervene immediately in the event of a submarine telecommunication cable failure and fully restore the operation of the network. In eighth place was the JoFre team in the High School RoboMission category.

To participate in the World Robot Olympiad, those interested are invited to form groups of two or three children and participate in the national qualifiers (World Robot Olympiad™ for Greece).

Participating groups are asked to design, build, and program a robot that will either be used in track tests (Regular category) or simulate a science related to a specific topic that changes each year.