The Hyperion Bots 18011 robotics team from Parklands College has qualified to represent South Africa at the FIRST Robotics Competition World Championships in Houston in April.
Image: SUPPLIED
A robotics team from Parklands College will represent South Africa on the global stage after qualifying for the international finals of the FIRST Robotics Competition.
The school’s team, Hyperion Bots 18011, secured its place at the world championships after an impressive performance at the South African National Championships held at the Amazon offices in Cape Town.
Competing against 23 of the country’s top robotics teams, the group finished third overall and received the second-place Inspire Award, one of the competition’s most prestigious honours, recognising excellence in engineering design, robot performance, documentation, and community engagement.
The achievement means the team will travel to Houston to compete at the world championships, which take place from Wednesday, April 29, to Saturday, May 2, at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Team captain Isabella Ankiah said the experience has been about leadership and representation in science and technology.
“Being a captain has nothing to do with being a girl. Leadership is not defined by gender. I am proud to lead, proud to represent women in STEM, and proud to challenge every stereotype that says we cannot,” she said.
The team has also been recognised for its #FIRSTLikeAGirl initiative, which encourages young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Parklands College credited the team’s success to the dedication of its coaches and mentors — Cai Bridges, Justine De Wet, Devendree Ankiah and Richard Knaggs — as well as the support of sponsors Rockwell Automation and Dragonfly Tri.
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