Junior coders put their robots to test

Students from Wickham Primary School have placed third in a Statewide robotic Olympics event.

More than 420 primary and secondary students from across WA travelled to Perth to compete in the annual RoboCup event to test their scientific prowess and STEM knowledge at Curtin Stadium last month. The event allows students to showcase their robots and compete in challenges including onstage performance, soccer, rescue and maze to help provide a realistic link between classroom learnings and the real-world application of coding and robotics.

A team of Wickham Year 4 and 5 students called Way Out Wickham came third in the onstage performance novice category.

Nullagine Primary School also competed for the first time, bringing two onstage performance teams made possible by the RoboCup travel scholarship.

Scitech chief executive Kalien Selby said the event was a highlight of the year for students who had worked hard in a challenging year.

“It is a real testament to the resilience and determination of our school communities and independent teams that so many have found a way to be competition-ready,” she said.

“This fantastic event gives students the chance to work together towards a common goal. They learn to solve problems and build new skills while having fun being creative with robots and tech.

“We are proud to be able to offer this amazing opportunity with the support of our long-standing partner Rio Tinto.”