Sponsored by GTT
Teams Guyana and St Kitts consolidated their ideas to innovate a combination koker management–farm management system that uses sensors, motors, gears and smart technology to automate the kokers used by rice farmers. The system also introduces sensors into the farm landscape to provide critical information for farmers which is predicted to help them to increase yield by helping them to make better decisions about where to efficiently use water, fertilizers and pesticides. The farm management system is essentially designed to reduce farm costs, reduce water risks and increase farm yield, thereby driving down the cost of production of rice and other produce.
The First Global Robotics challenge 2021 was designed to engage bright young people from more than 175 countries in the world, in a series of challenges for which they earn points and rankings. The challenges include robotics challenges–designing and building an automated drivetrain, a shooter launcher system, an automated intake system to pickup, hold, intake and release water bottles and a climber system inspired by Guyana’s koker gear system.
The 2021 challenge also includes the launching of a cubesat (mini satellite) to gather data such as humidity, atmospheric pressure and other variables from the stratosphere, all to aid in the improvement of weather prediction. Successful teams are expected to build, program, & launch the cubesat and to analyze the data from the mini satellite once retrieved.
Additional challenges include social media challenges and multiple presentations by global experts from which students are expected to listen, process and ask relevant questions of the presenters in order to earn points.
Both Teams Guyana and St Kitts have discussed commercializing their combined system since it does offer actual real world benefits to farmers in Guyana and around the world. The 2021 FGC program will end on September 28, where final rankings and prizes will be released.
This year is Guyana’s 5th year of participating in the global challenge which seeks to inspire young people to solve global problems in Science and Technology by pursuing careers and creating technology startups with other talented young people either locally or from around the globe. In addition to strengthening their technology skills, the FGC challenge also encourages young people to develop self confidence, communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, critical thinking and problem solving skills.