AveRobot School Championship
The 1st “AveRobot” Robotics Competition of the Aver-o-Mar School Group took place on 14 June. This competition was organised by the IT teachers who teach ICT and STEAM to the eighth and ninth grades.
The STEAM subject was a fortnightly one-hour supplementary course created this school year for the eighth and ninth grade classes. This subject is made up of five areas: Science; Technology; Engineering; Art and Maths. These five areas should not be seen as watertight, but as working spaces that intersect and which, together, contribute to the development of the areas of competence set out in the Student Profile. The prevailing logic was to develop challenges, problems or projects, working together and simultaneously on learning in different areas, emphasising interdisciplinarity, the creative use of materials and collaboration with school services and projects.
Throughout this “AveRobot” project, various stages were developed with the participation and coordination of the members of the IT group: Helena Nogueira, David Pires and Carlos Mendonça. The students from the 8th grade classes created the tracks, with each class developing a part of the track using various materials, from models of buildings to representations of the beach. Each track simulated a street around the school and/or Póvoa de Varzim.
To create the Robot Cars, the 8th and 9th graders began by drawing 3D models of the chassis/wheels for the competition, integrating the necessary components, with some groups of students also exploring the creation of chassis using recycled products (cardboard, boxes, wheels, etc.). The cars were then assembled, something that really captivated the students. In this process, motors were soldered, the necessary 3D prints were made, components were connected, sensors and batteries were installed, among other things. Finally, the students carried out research and created the “programme” in “Arduino IDE” for the car to work, calibrating the sensors and testing the components on a test track. On the day of the race, the students readjusted the robot to the conditions of the official track and carried out the competition with great enthusiasm.
It was a difficult course, with many constraints, but the IT group from Aver-o-Mar insisted, persisted and “when a man dreams, a work is born!”
Congratulations to all the students who took part, for their originality and persistence. Congratulations to all the teams that took part and especially to the three winning teams, two from the 9th grade and one from the 9th grade!
Photos and vídeos available.
