Team RobUL prepares for the competition in Denver
The RobUL team has taken another important step in its preparation for the FIRST Robotics Competition in Denver, Colorado in March. Together with other participants from Europe, the RobUL team observed the launch of the competition, the terms of reference and the conditions for this year’s event at a three-day meeting in the Netherlands. They tried their hand at hands-on robot simulation and control, shared their experiences with other participants and strengthened their chances of success. The competition, which this year will involve more than 3,700 teams from around the world, presents an exceptional challenge combining technical skills, creative thinking and teamwork.
The RobUL team is made up of thirteen high school students from the Ústí nad Labem region, who have been meeting regularly since October 2024 at the Faculty of Science of UJEP and under the supervision of six experienced mentors (from the Faculty of Science of UJEP, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of UJEP, Information Centre of the Ústí nad Labem Region, Secondary School of Construction and Technical School in Ústí nad Labem, College of Packaging Technology and Secondary School in Štětí + an expert from practice), they are learning to design, construct and program a robot with which they will participate in the FIRST international robotics competition in the USA in March 2025.
These talented high school students started their March trip to America with a successful three-day event in the Netherlands (3-6 January 2025), hosted by the Dutch Rembrandts team of more than fifty members. Together with them, teams from Switzerland, Greece and the Czech Republic gathered in the Netherlands to share their knowledge and experience for this year’s FIRST Robotics Competition. The RobUL team from the University of Ústí nad Labem came to Eindhoven with two mentors and seven students. The host team, Rembrandts, showed them around their premises in the Microlab building, where they have been building robots for the FIRST competition in their workshops for several years. The subsequent game night then simulated the FIRST competition arena from previous years, and the competing mixed Czech-Dutch teams tested their robot control skills.
The RobUL team also met the Fridolins from Switzerland and the Pyroneers from Greece the next day at Microlab. They were treated to joint workshops, networking and sharing experiences from previous years. In the evening, all the participants watched the official international opening of the FIRST Robotics Competition 2025 online. The part of the team that stayed in the Czech Republic watched the event, the so-called “Kick-Off Event”, in the premises of the Innovation Centre of the Ústí nad Labem Region, which is a partner of the RobUL team and the whole project.
“The brief for this year’s competition is called REEFSCAPE and is an ambitious challenge inspired by the underwater environment. Robots must collect and place plastic cylinders, called ‘corals’, into a four-tiered rack representing a reef. The next part of the challenge involves manipulating a ball, and the final stage of hanging from a metal cage suspended from a chain, called the ‘Stage’. These tasks place high demands on design, mechanical precision and team coordination,” says Jan Krejčí, PhD, the team’s mentor from the Faculty of Science at UJEP.
On the last day, the RobUL team had the opportunity to collaborate with other teams on the construction of the game elements of the playing arena, which is to simulate this year’s competition environment. This collaboration allowed them to better understand the different aspects of the brief and also gain inspiration from the approach of the other teams. Particularly valuable was the exchange of experience with the newcomers from Greece, who bring a fresh perspective to the competition, and with the Rembrandts team, which is known for its innovative approach to solving technical challenges.
The meeting was not only about technical knowledge, but also about sharing team spirit and strengthening international ties. RobUL took away not only new ideas, but also valuable partnerships that could be key to their success in the competition this year and beyond. The team also appreciated the opportunity for direct feedback and testing their ideas in a real game arena environment.
“Attending this meeting was a huge inspiration and motivation for the RobUL team. All of its members are now focusing their efforts on preparing for the competition in Denver in mid-April, where they will represent the Czech Republic and the Ústí nad Labem region. Thanks to the Rembrandts team for organizing the event and to the Faculty of Science of the University of Ljubljana, which is the umbrella of the ROBUL project,” says the guarantor of the Robotým activity for international competitions of the RUR – Region to University, University of the Region project Ing. Tamara Klein.
“Thanks to the experience from the Netherlands, the RobUL team has a better chance to compete in a strong international competition and continue to contribute to the development of robotics in the region and beyond,” adds Ing. Klein from the Faculty of Science at UJEP.
For more information about the RobUL team, follow the website: robul.cz and social networks (FB / IG)