The 6th Preiļi Robotics Championship, a stage of the 16th Latvian Robotics Championship, has taken place
On 27 January 2024, the 6th Preiļi Robotics Championship (PRC 2024), a stage of the 16th Latvian Robotics Championship, was held at the Jānis Eglītis Preiļi State Gymnasium (JEPVĢ).
This year’s competition was attended by participants from Latvia and Lithuania, including 25% of all participants who came from Lithuania. 354 robot teams from 52 institutions/organisations/clubs were registered for the competition. This year, 63 prizes from sponsors and supporters were won and presented during the competition, and 21 sets of cups were awarded! It is also pleasing that the event attracted interest not only from participants but was also attended by many visitors.
This year the competition was also visited by the creative team of the programme Ātruma cilts, headed by Pauls Timrots, and here is what they captured on video:
The event was hosted by the popular blogger Kristaps Skutelis – presenter of the “Zoopastas” show on Star FM radio, new-technology enthusiast and expert, originator and editor-in-chief of the technology blog Kursors.lv. At the start of the competition the participants were greeted by the director of the Jānis Eglītis Preiļi State Gymnasium Skaidrīte Ūzuliņa, the chairman of Preiļi Municipality Council Ārijs Vucāns, the deputy director of the gymnasium Juris Erts and the chief referee of the Preiļi Robotics Championship Armands Upenieks, and at the close the championship participants were greeted with an inspiring musical greeting by the gymnasium’s vocal and instrumental ensemble “Fourteen” with the song “Dzelzsgriezējs”!
At the competition, participants could take part with 2 types of robots – using construction kits (LEGO, VEX), or using electronic components, known as free structure. This year the competition was held in the Mini Sumo, Lego Sumo, iRobot Sumo, Lego line following, free-structure line following, Lego Folkrace, free-structure Folkrace, Freestyle, AntWeight, FLL, VEX, Maze, WeDo and drone events. In some events the participants were divided into age groups (pupils or amateurs/professionals). Requirements were set for the dimensions and weight of the robot designs, and other design restrictions and rules, described in the regulations, were also defined. New this year were the FLL, VEX, WeDo and maze competitions.
The competition could certainly not have taken 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, and the chief referees of the competition events: line following – Matīss Dambītis, Folkrace – Kārlis Berkholds, Lego Sumo – Dāvis Kundziņš, Mini Sumo and iRobot Sumo – Einārs Deksnis, Freestyle – Vitolds Bīriņš, AntWeight – Edgars Skruodis, FLL – Sandijs Krastiņš, VEX – Edgars Bajaruns, WeDo – Mareks Briška, Maze – Vladimirs Birjukovs and the drone competition – Normunds Masaļskis.
Jānis Bērziņš, who represents the “JJ Robotics” team, organised a general-knowledge quiz for pupils – Jānis had prepared tricky questions, and the most knowledgeable or luckiest participants received, for correct answers, special prizes of Lego pieces provided by Jānis and sweets provided by the Preiļi company “Pie torņa”! During the competition everyone had the chance to have fun and have their photo taken with the “little robot” of the improviser Marta.
Thank you to Normunds Masaļskis, who together with the “Robopilots” team ensured that the drone competition ran smoothly, including a live broadcast of the drone flights, and delighted participants with a drone show at the opening of the competition! Thank you to Edgars Bajaruns from Sigulda Youth Centre and Edgars Timofejevs, representative of SIA Tomega, for organising the VEX competition, to Sandijs Krastiņš from Salaspils and Anna Skruode from Valmiera for organising the FLL competition, and to Vladimirs Birjukovs from Aizkraukle for ensuring the running of the maze event.
Thank you to Ieva Babre, who captured the best moments of the competition in photographs, and to Inese Anina for the competition video! The participants gave very positive feedback on the biscuits provided by the catering provider SIA Picu bode and send a big thank-you to the canteen cooks for the tasty lunches! Thank you to Dainis Kļaviņš for the cups prepared for the robotics competition and to JEPVĢ visual arts teacher Ruta Vjakse for creating the competition poster.
Although the competition was quite fierce, members of the Preiļi Robotics Club also managed to achieve good results in several events:
The PRK/Robotu Skola team with Matīss Buks won 1st and 3rd place in the Mini Sumo event, Pro group, and together with Aldis Buks 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the free-structure robot Folkrace event, PRO group.
One of the most successful members of the PRK team was Andrejs Gžibovskis (9.D), who won 1st and 2nd place in the Lego line following event and 1st place in the Lego Folkrace event.
Gustavs Briška and Ričards Kižlo won 1st place in the Lego Freestyle event.
Jānis Bērzinieks (8.B) won 3rd place in the Lego Sumo PRO group.
Haralds Teirumnieks won 1st place in the free-structure robot Folkrace event, pupils’ group, and Arnis Malakovs 3rd place.
Jānis Bečs won 1st place in the iRobot Sumo event, Liāna Usāne (12.A) and Elīna Šmeikste (12.A) won 2nd place, and Jānis Bečs and Kristers Šņepsts (10.A) won 3rd place.
In the pupils’ Mini Sumo event, Elīna Šmeikste with Liāna Usāne, and Mārtiņš Ulpe shared 5th place.
Thank you to Kārlis Pīgožnis for preparing the pupils for the competition and for his help in organising the robotics championship.
THANK YOU to all the pupils, technical staff and teachers of the Jānis Eglītis Preiļi State Gymnasium who volunteered, taking part in organising and running the competition and in tidying the premises after it!
The winners of 1st–3rd place received valuable prizes, which were provided thanks to the competition’s sponsors and supporters: the association Mans Robots, the International Innovation School, Uzdevumi.lv, SIA Mikrotīkls (Mikrotik), SIA Preiļu celtnieks, Robotiem.lv, SIA LMT, SIA SensusLab, Letera, kursors.lv, SIA Vektors, SIA Olūts, SIA Aerones, SIA Tomega, SIA Pie Torņa, the beach café Pampūkas, SIA Proline-D, SIA Salang-P, SIA Baltijas informācijas tehnoloģijas, DK Robotic, AS Cēsu darītava, JJ Robotika.
Interview on the kursors.lv PODCAST – What events will there be at the Preiļi Robotics Championship and how do children learn robotics?
Information about PRC 2024
Results
Photo gallery (photos: Ieva Babre)
Recordings of the live broadcasts of the competition on YouTube from the assembly hall and the drone competition:
On behalf of the organisers of the Preiļi Robotics Championship, Juris Erts
PRC 2024 supporters:
