Pinoys join international robot competition

MANILA, Philippines - A team of talented junior students from the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) in Diliman, Quezon City will compete in a robotics competition in the US this week.

Philippine team “Lagablab” – composed of 20 third year high school students from the PSHS – together with “Larry Labuyo,” a five-foot tall, 120-pound robot, is taking part in the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship to be held in Atlanta, Georgia from April 16 to 18.

FIRST or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology is a US-based organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, aimed at inspiring young people to engage in science and technology.

Lagablab is the Filipino term for flame, burning strong and bright.

Labuyo, on the other hand, means wild rooster and in some dialects it refers to a small but potent chili.

Team Lagablab, the sole participant from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), received the “Highest Rookie Seed Award” and the “Rookie All-Star Award” in the FIRST Robotics Competition recently held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In Atlanta, the team would compete against other regional winners of the Rookie award.

Science Education Institute (SEI) director Ester Ogena said the team has received donations from the local governments of Quezon City, Las Piñas and from the Social Security System (SSS).

Science Undersecretary Fortunato de la Peña said the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) would give some P1.5 million for the team.

Each year, FIRST unveils a new game for the students to solve. Using a common kit of parts, they are asked to build a robot that would perform based on the rules of the game.

For this year, the students engaged the robots in a game called “Lunacy,” which simulates the conditions on the moon.

Robots used a special kind of wheel to roll over regolith, a material which is almost frictionless, the SEI said.

The objective of the game is to place as many “moon rocks” into the trailer of the opponent in two minutes and 15 seconds.

Science Secretary Estrella Alabastro said the DOST continues to promote a culture of science and technology among Filipinos by providing support to young students who compete in international competitions.

“We hope that events like this will lead you to a career path in science and technology,” she said.

Alabastro said that in the Philippines, there are only 103 engineers per one million people, which is below the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization benchmark of 380 engineers.

Ogena said they plan to incorporate robotics in the curriculum of all science-oriented schools in the country.

Ogena earlier said Larry Labuyo, which has the features of a trailer truck, could be used in robotic farming.

De la Peña said it could also be used in the manufacturing and health industries, especially in transporting hazardous materials.