Bangladesh wins 4 gold medals at Int’l Robot Olympiad

The International Robot Olympiad (IRO) intends to develop students' interest in the field of robotics. The 23rd edition of the olympiad was organised in Daegu, South Korea, but due the ongoing pandemic, participants from different countries sent their entries online, and were assessed virtually.

This year, team Bangladesh won four gold, two silver, five bronze and four technical medals. In the Robot in Movie category, the gold medalists included team Robo Sparkers in the junior group and team Robotigers in the challenge group. Similarly team Robustus and team Robo Squad won gold medals under the Creative Category.

The silver medalists were team AUSH in the junior group of the Creative Category and WE team in the challenge group under the Physical Computing Category. Team Robo Squad and Team-X56 also won bronze medals under the Robot in Movie competition. In the Creative Category, team Robo Sparkers, team Robotigers, and team Tiger-61 bagged bronze medals. Team Robustus, WE team and team MechaRo won technical medals under the Robot in Movie competition. In the Creative category, team MechaRo won technical medals.

Team Robustus consisted of Zaria Musarrat from The Aga Khan School. Misbah Uddin Inan, from Chattogram Cantonment School, and Zaima Jahin Wara, from William Carey Academy, comprised team Robo Sparkers. Quazi Mustahid Labib, from Chittagong Grammar School, Dhaka, and Nasheetat Zainah Rahman, from Sunbeams, were a part of team Robotigers. 

Team AUSH included Mahruz Mohammad from Navy Anchorage School and Robo Squad included Rafihath Saleh Chowdhury, from Jalalabad Cantonment English School and College, Tafsir Tahrim from Chittagong Grammar School, Dhaka and Mahir Tajwar Chowdhury, from Mirzapur Cadet College. Mahir was also a part of Team-X56. 

Team MechaRo featured Sadia Anjum Puspo, from Bhangura Jarina Rahim Girls High School, Zaiba Mahjabeen and Zahra Mahzareen Purbali from The Aga Khan School. Team WE included Propa Halder and Mir Umaima Hoque from Nalonda High School. Lastly, team Tiger-71 consisted of Ragib Yasar Rahman, from Dhaka Residential Model College, and Arefin Anwar, from Dhanmondi Govt. Boys' High School.   

The theme for this year's IRO was Social Robots. The 16-member Bangladesh team participated in the olympiad conducted on December 15 and 16 from the BCS Innovation Center of the capital.

This year, the 4th Bangladesh Robot Olympiad was organised by the Department of Information and Communication Technology, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Dhaka and Bangladesh Open Source Network. 

The national round witnessed the participation of 1124 students from 64 districts of the country. The winners were then shortlisted for an international robot team selection camp. Based on the test and performance of these students, the final team was selected.

Professor Lafifa Jamal, President of the Bangladesh Robot Olympiad Committee and a member of the Central Committee of the International Robot Olympiad, extended her gratitude to the honourable State Minister for Information Technology, Junaid Ahmed Palak, and the Department of Information Technology and Bangladesh Computer Council for their overall support in their endeavours.