Since July, the halls of Elizabeth Moir Senior School have played host to a group of students wielding screwdrivers and tape measures as they ready themselves for this year’s FIRST Global Robotics Challenge. The team, comprised of 5 students from Elizabeth Moir School and one student each from Dharmapala College and St. Sebastian’s College, has been preparing diligently for the competition which will take place in Athens from September 26-29.

The FIRST Global Challenge is an annual robotics competition run by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) whose goal is to inspire interest in STEM subjects and careers among young people. Every year teams from around the world build robots that compete to solve tasks which represent symbolic solutions to key global issues facing engineers such as health, quality of life, sustainability and security. This year’s challenge, Feeding the Future, is focused on finding opportunities to provide the global population with equitable, safe, nutritious, and environmentally responsible food.” Teams organised by the teachers of Elizabeth Moir School have represented Sri Lanka annually in the FIRST Global Challenge, with 2024 being its 8th consecutive year. This includes competitions in Washington D.C., Mexico City, Dubai, Geneva and Singapore, along with online tournaments in 2020 and 2021. Previous teams have raised Sri Lanka’s flag high by winning Judges’ Awards for Technical Excellence in Mexico City, Dubai and Singapore, a Bronze Medal in Dubai, and a Gold Medal and the prestigious Zhang Heng Award for Engineering Design in Geneva.

The students on the 2024 team designed their robot using a computer-aided design program (CAD) while waiting for the robotics components to arrive. Once they received the kit, the team set about bringing their vision to life. While the robot and its design will remain secret until it debuts at the competition, it is evident that every member of the team has enthusiastically contributed to this feat of engineering. As the date grows nearer, there is an air of palpable excitement and, while nerves might run high, there is every belief that Team Sri Lanka 2024 will perform admirably and follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. As team member Raveen Akuretiyagama said: “We’ve spent the last two months strategizing and developing our robot to maximise its efficiency, overcoming an array of hurdles along the way. However, I have full confidence that Sri Lanka will be able to shine on the global stage this year as we’ve compiled all our prior experiences and learned from them.” One thing is clear: when Team Sri Lanka makes its appearance, the other teams will find it a force to be reckoned with.