NZ wins world robotics schools champs title for eighth year

NZ wins world robotics schools champs title for eighth year in a row

April 26, 2016

For the eighth year in a row New Zealand has earned the right to call themselves world champions at the VEX world robotics championships held in Louisville, the United States, over Anzac weekend.

Auckland’s Lynfield College achieved the ultimate accolade being crowned the winners of the High School Excellence Award, the top award of the championships. Lynfield retained the Excellence Award won for New Zealand last year by Glenfield College.

NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says it is an amazing result for New Zealand schools to win the world robotics championships for the eighth year in succession. Twelve New Zealand school teams and 75 Kiwis travelled to Louisville for the event.

“This is quite an outstanding example of the tech sector and schools working together to stimulate interest in technology and demonstrating that Kiwi tech talent is alive and strong. These are the future tech leaders of New Zealand. NZTech is working with Kiwibots and other similar organisations to bring together an Alliance of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) organisations working together to support the growth of tech skills,” Muller says.

David Aston from Glenfield College was inducted into the VEX Robotics STEM Hall of Fame as Teacher of the Year. There are only nine teachers in the world who have received this award. He joins Johan Potgieter who was one of the first inductees in recognition of starting VEX in New Zealand.

Lynfield also won the robot skills world champions award for the highest score in a competition where a robot competes alone on the field under driver control for one minute. The triumphant Lynfield team arrives back in Auckland about 2pm tomorrow.

VEX robotics competition has grown to be the biggest robotics competition in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. A total of 1072 teams from 40 countries competed in Louisville at the weekend for the right to call themselves world champions. The US’s premier sports channel ESPN will be airing the event on ESPN2 on July 20.

Other successful New Zealand schools teams were from Feilding High School and Nakibots team from New Plymouth.

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