The much-awaited annual ‘ROBOFEST 2022’ competition organised by SLIIT, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering concluded recently showcasing teamwork and skills of the participants, igniting passion of future engineering and innovators beyond robotics.
At the Grand finale conducted at SLIIT Malabe Campus Auditorium, teams representing the School and University categories persevered showcasing game strategy, design, and ingenuity.
SLIIT ROBOFEST is recognized as the premier robotic competition in Sri Lanka. This year’s event was no exception with record participants vying to demonstrate their talents. In addition, the competition provided youth an unparalleled platform to learn, showcase and nurture their AI and tech-related skills.
The schools category was conducted across two levels. Over 100+ entries were received, and the organizers provided a technical document including instructions and guidelines for participants to create a simple robot and submit a video. After elimination, 38 participants were selected for the final competition.
For the Schools category First Place was awarded to ‘Trojan 22’ of St. Joseph’s College, Nugegoda, Second Place ‘Line Follower Bot’ of Thakshila College, Gampaha and Third Place was ‘Sinon’ from D.S. Senanayake National School, Ampara. Consolation prizes were presented to Ralphy Boy from Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, and two teams – ‘Ultra’ and ‘CYBERNOTS DSS’ both from D.S. Senanayake National School.
The Primary prize sponsor was Sri Lanka Institute of Robotics (SLIR) while the Consolation Prize was awarded by Magicbit and technical support extended by MEU Labs.
The University Category was conducted from the 25 to 26 September. Places for the University category were hard-fought and not awarded. While the Principal Sponsor was Zone 24/7, the Consolation Prize was presented to ‘Team C’ from the Sir John Kotelawala Defense University.
The Platform sponsors for the event were Orange and ACCELR. Contributing to hosting and organizing the event were the SLIIT Faculty of Engineering, the Media Unit and SLIIT students at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. (IEEE)
Prior to the finals, SLIIT organized several informative seminars and a webinar for students and university undergraduates interested in participating in ROBOFEST 2022. The seminars drew avid interest among students, with a large number of participants helping to build a strong AI and Robotics community expanding the robotics ecosystem in the country.
The seminars also raised awareness on new technologies generating excitement prior to the commencement of the competition. Seminars were conducted at Sandalanka Central College and at St. Thomas’s College, Matara and an online webinar was facilitated by Roshan Premaratne, representing SLIR. Organizers used social media tools to provide enhanced support and information to participants as required including FAQs.
Commenting on the competition, ROBOFEST 2022 Coordinator, Dr. Anton Hettiarachchige Don said, “All participants demonstrated immense creativity. They showed their passion to learn and gain the skills necessary to pursue a future career in engineering. We are very proud of ROBOFEST 2022’s extraordinary winners as well as all the talented competitors who gave their best shot. The competition was a memorable success also due to the unwavering support of SLIIT student organizers, sponsors, mentors and volunteers.”
Dr. Nimsiri Abhayasinghe, Assistant Professor and Head of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, SLIIT added, “We need innovators in our society. ROBOFEST 2022 highlights the talent of problem-solving leaders of the future. It was inspiring to experience the dedication, hard work, and excitement that robotics brings to teams and students in the robotics community. This competition has enabled them to thrive, go beyond in their desire to gain skills and prepare themselves for their future.”