MORE than 100 pupils from 32 primary schools across Limerick went head to head this past weekend in the ninth annual Analog Devices Primary School Robotics Competition, with St Patrick’s Boys National School coming out as top of the bots.
The competition, which kicks off national Engineers Week, saw Limerick fifth and sixth class pupils go to battle with custom-designed sumo wrestling robots.
Following an intense competition, Theo Costello, Jan Makowiecki, Dillon Hinchy, and Farooq Muniru from St Patrick’s Boys NS secured the title of 2023 Analog Devices Primary School Robotics Champions. The school last won the competition in 2022.
Mick O’Connell, Dylan Clifford, and David O’Sullivan from Dromtrasna NS secured the runners-up position.
Parents, teachers, and friends cheered on the sparring children during the hotly contested competition, which saw robots developed by the students duke it out in sumo-style wrestling matches.
The robots were made at robotics workshops run by Analog Devices and LearnIt, where pupils learn to build and programme robots using Lego kits. A new challenge this year saw students develop machines designed specifically for sumo wrestling.
The primary goal of the event, according to a representative of Analog Devices, is to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) among primary students, providing them with a hands-on engineering experience.
So far over 6,600 students have participated in the competition to date.
Among the 32 Limerick schools taking part this year were Ahane NS, Castleconnell CS, Corpus Christi PS, Limerick Educate Together, Thomond PS, and Our Lady Queen of Peace.
