7th Preiļi Robotics Championship stage of the 17th Latvian Robotics Championship held
On 25 January 2025 the 7th Preiļi Robotics Championship stage (PRC 2025) of the 17th Latvian Robotics Championship was held at the Jānis Eglītis Preiļi State Gymnasium (JEPVĢ).
This year’s competition had participants from Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, with 28% of all participants coming from Lithuania. 407 robot teams from 67 institutions/organisations/clubs took part in the competition. This year 81 prizes from sponsors and supporters were won and presented during the competition, and 26 sets of cups and 3 special prizes were awarded! The event was also attended by many visitors.
The event was traditionally hosted by Kristaps Skutelis, a popular blogger, new-technology enthusiast and expert, and the originator and editor-in-chief of the technology blog Kursors.lv.
At the start of the competition the participants were welcomed by the director of the Jānis Eglītis Preiļi State Gymnasium Skaidrīte Ūzuliņa, the chairman of Preiļi Municipality Council Ārijs Vucāns, the head of the Latgale Business Centre Andris Kucins, the head of the Latgale Regional Development Agency Māris Bozovičs, the chairman of the board of the association “Mans robots” and long-standing supporter of Latvian robotics Vitolds Bīriņš, the head of the Preiļi Robotics Club and deputy director of JEPVĢ Juris Erts, and the chief referee of the Preiļi Robotics Championship Armands Upenieks, and at the close the participants of the championship were surprised with an inspiring musical greeting by the guitarist Kristaps Brīvers!
The whole course of the Preiļi Robotics Championship can be watched in the YouTube live-stream video recording (https://ieej.lv/prc2025), which this year was provided by professionals from NoLimits Production Ltd.
A new event was also introduced at the Preiļi championship this year – Dragrace. The robot’s task is to drive the given straight track from the start to the finish line as fast as possible and stop at the end of the track without leaving the finish zone. Precise finishing is the most difficult task in this event. I think we will develop it even further next year.
Guests from Poland admitted that what they had most wanted to see in Preiļi was precisely the iRobot battles. One of those who introduced iRobot battles in Latvia is Vitolds Bīriņš of Robotu Skola, who currently represents the association Mans robots, and thanks to Vitolds’s selflessness and spirit of patronage, over several years robot builders have been able to obtain used vacuum cleaners free of charge so that children could work with them. This event is popular because the robot already has a base that only needs to be improved.
In cooperation with Tomega Ltd and the Sigulda Youth Creativity Centre, VEX IQ competitions were organised at the championship, in which participants have to solve prepared tasks. In cooperation with FLL representatives in Latvia, an FLL event was organised in which participants build and programme a robot that carries out various game missions. This event is popular in more than 100 countries around the world.
Another novelty this year was the Antweight 454g robot competition, an event in which the robots are driven by remote control. Antweight robot battles are one of the best-attended and most spectacular events. This year robots of two weight categories could fight – 200g and 454g.
In cooperation with the Ādaži drone school “Robopilots” and Normunds Masaļskis, a laser show was held in the sports hall during the championship, attended by many competition participants and other interested people. Before the competition considerable effort was needed to black out the eight-metre-high windows of the gymnasium’s sports hall.
At the opening and closing of the competition a surprise was provided by the electronics enthusiast Patriks Ezeriņš from Riga, who demonstrated the Tesla coil he had built. As many visitors admitted, the show was impressive. Building it took Patriks a whole year.
The Preiļi championship was attended, and its organisation joined, by Latvia’s best robot builders, who have been winners of championships in Estonia, Lithuania, Austria, Romania, China, Japan and elsewhere. They included Einārs Deksnis – the first foreigner to win a competition in Japan. They shared world-class experience with children and young people.
The competition could certainly not take place without the many volunteer helpers and referees! Special THANKS to: the chief referee of the competition Armands Upenieks; Gundars Miezītis for compiling the tournament tables; the chief referees of the competition events: line following and dragrace – Matīss Dambītis and Linards Šmeiksts, folkrace – Kārlis Berkholds, Lego sumo – Dāvis Kundziņš, mini sumo and iRobot sumo – Einārs Deksnis, Glorija Balinišķīte, freestyle – Vitolds Bīriņš, AntWeight – Edgars Skruodis, FLL – Sandijs Krastiņš and Anna Skruode, VEX – Edgars Bajaruns, WeDo – Mareks Briška and the drone competition – Normunds Masaļskis.
Jānis Bērziņš, who represents the “JJ Robotics” team, organised a quiz for pupils – Jānis had prepared tricky questions, and the most knowledgeable or luckiest participants received special Lego-part prizes provided by Jānis and sweets provided by the Preiļi company “Pie torņa” for their correct answers!
Although the competition was strong, members of the Preiļi Robotics Club also managed to achieve good results in several events:
For another year one of the most successful members of the PRK team was Andrejs Gžibovskis, who won 1st place in Lego dragrace, 1st place in Lego line following, 1st place in Lego folkrace and 2nd place in Folkrace PRO.
Jānis Bērzinieks won 2nd place in Lego sumo PRO.
Markuss Prikuls won 3rd place in Lego sumo PRO and, in cooperation with Andrejs, 2nd place in Lego line following.
Elīna Šmeikste won 1st place in iRobot sumo.
Liāna Usāne won 3rd place in iRobot sumo.
Haralds Teirumnīks won 2nd place in iRobot sumo, 1st place in Folkrace for pupils and 3rd place in Mini sumo for pupils.
Antra Teirumnīka won 2nd place in Folkrace for pupils.
Thank you to Kārlis Pīgožnis for preparing the pupils for the competition and for helping to organise the robotics championship.
THANK YOU to all the pupils, technical staff and teachers of the Jānis Eglītis Preiļi State Gymnasium for the volunteer work they did in organising and running the competition and tidying the premises after it!
The 81 prizes distributed across the championship’s 26 events were arranged by the supporters of the championship – Bit, Cēsu darītava, JJ Robotika, the Latgale Regional Development Agency, Letera, Light Guide Optics International, LMT, Pie Torņa, RD veikals, Salang P, Volmārkoks LG, Lemona, Mans robots, Mikrotik, Proline-d, Sensuslab, Silja, Tevale, Tomega, Uzdevumi.lv, Starptautiskā inovāciju skola, ZZDats and others.
Good cooperation developed with the local company “Volmārcentrs”, which made the competition’s advertising banner, cups and various other presentation materials. It is pleasing that great support is also given by local companies in particular!
Photo gallery (photos: Ieva Babre)
YouTube recordings of the live stream of the competition from the assembly hall and of the drone competition:
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Publicity: ZZ Dats Ltd https://www.zzdats.lv/preilu-robotikas-cempionata-par-kausiem-un-balvam-cinisies-skolenu-veidotie-roboti-no-latvijas-lietuvas-un-polijas/ Kursors.lv https://kursors.lv/2025/01/15/robotikas-interesenti-tiek-aicinati-uz-7-preilu-robotikas-cempionatu/
Mammām un tētiem: https://www.mammamuntetiem.lv/zinas/aktualitates/61900/karlis-divreiz-nedela-uz-nodarbibam-mero-pat-50-kilometrus-gaidama-siva-cina-starp-skolenu-veidotajiem-robotiem
On behalf of the organisers of the Preiļi Robotics Championship, Juris Erts
PRC 2025 supporters: