Four Year 9 pupils have taken part in the VEX Robotics World Championships, in a fierce competition that saw them secure the highest programming skills score in the world, outdoing seasoned roboticists from the US and Asia.
After a year-long robotics campaign, which saw Thomas, Joseph, Arav and Alexander compete alongside fellow Highgate teams at regional level, the team qualified for the national competition at Telford’s International Centre, where a World Championship qualification spot was hotly contested.
Advancing to the finals at this stage, the Highgate team scored 38 points and beat all other competitors! Following some last-minute modifications to their robot, suitcases were packed and our team headed to the World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. With over 400 teams at middle school level, and another 400 at elementary level, the VEX Robotics World Championships takes over the Kentucky Exposition Centre, a venue with over a million square feet of space.
Outside the competition, our team explored the concurrent build-up to the Kentucky Derby, visiting the local Louisville Bats for a baseball game at Slugger Field, and sampling the gastronomic delights of the Bluegrass State at the Kentucky Kingdom after party!
Mr Thomson, Head of DTE at Highgate, said: ‘This incredible trip proved a fitting finale for the superb work that the team put in, and they should be enormously proud of their accomplishments.’
