PUI students win big in 3rd Australian Robotics Challenge
THREE students of the Pangasinan Universal Institute (PUI) in Dagupan City who learned from the city’s experience in the aftermath of a killer earthquake in 2000, went to compete in Australia to show their prowess in robotic technology.
They came home with their gold medals around their necks, making their country, city and school proud after leaving their marks in the 3rd Australian Robotics Challenge held at the Griffith University, Gold Coast in Australia last Oct. 28 – 30.
Jilian Kay Madison Fernandez, Grade 8; Matthea Flynne Sim, Grade 10 and Beatrice Gail Wong, Grade 11, bagged gold for the 3D Design Challenge in the competition participated in by other kids from China, Korea, Australia and other teams from the Philippines.
The PUI team and students from other schools (Cavite National High School and La Salle-Zobel) in the Philippines who also came home with their medals which they won in a number of challenges from Creative Technology to Mission Challenge, Line Tracing, Symposium and 3D Design.
PUI’s Jilian Kay Madison Fernandez, Matthea Flynne Sim, and Beatrice Gail Wong hold their medals and certificates for all to see.
The PUI students stood out in the 3D Design Challenge and took runner-up honors for the Creative Concept Award.
“It was a contest where students from different parts of the world go to show their prowess in innovating and addressing a specific problem with the use of robotics,” Fernandez said.
In the Symposium Challenge, the PUI team focused on a specific topic while the team addressed showed how a search and rescue operation in the aftermath of an earthquake can be more effective.
The team design designed a vest for dogs (called ROB Vest for Rescue, Optimization), to help in the evaluation of situations inside an earthquake disaster site.
Knowing that there are people normally trapped in the rubble where buildings collapsed, only sniff dogs can possibly track and locate them.
“We augmented the dog’s sensors capabilities with robotic technology,” Wong said.
“A camera is attached to the vest worn by the dog that includes sensors that guide the dog’s movements,” Sim said. “The camera enables rescuers to see what’s happening inside the rubble,” she added.
“With the vest, a search and rescue becomes more efficient,” Fernandez said, saving precious time to save lives.
“It’s what our slogan “Protecting dogs and saving lives” is all about Wong said.
“Our hard work, discipline and focus paid off,” Wong added.
Fernandez recalled what their mentor Melvin Matulac told them: “You’re not trying to make a superman but you’re trying something that could help the world even in small way that could impact greatly”.
Yolanda Que, PUI school principal and their coach Mario Ferrer, said they were ecstatic and felt the pride and honor brought home by their students. (Tita Roces)
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