4 min.
ROME: THE SMALL ENGINEERS ARE SET
Dear Friends, this is the story of the adventure that our fourth grade class experienced at the RomeCup 2010.
It all began last year when we participated in the “Small Engineers Grow” Project and started developing and programming robots. Then, this year we received an invitation to participate in the fourth edition of the International Robotics Trophy in Rome (March 18-20, 2010). As soon as we received the invitation, our minds were set… Rome get ready, here we come!
We immediately set to work with our Teacher, Anna, to design, develop and programme a robot that could move to the rhythm of music. We added motors to last year’s robots to control the dancers. It was a group project in which everyone participated.
On March 17th, we set off from Eboli and arrived at the Istituto Galileo Galilei in Rome during the afternoon. Our first task was to set up our stand in the exhibition area where we showcased our robots and were also interviewed by various television networks.
Before arriving at our hotel, we took a nice tour around the beautiful city of Rome and marveled at all the beautiful masterpieces, especially the Coliseum and the “Altare della Patria”. We finally arrived at the hotel and had just enough time for a short rest before dinner and then a little playing and off to bed for the big day.
Breakfast was at eight and then we were set for the big competition. When we arrived at the Galilei School, we were welcomed as stars. There were a lot of people and we were a little nervous, but we started giving exhibitions, before the afternoon competition.
Competitions included many different categories: Robocup Junior dance, Rescue, Soccer and Standard Platfond League. We participated in the Robocup Junior dance with three teams. The “Miticos” team had two robots that danced to the rhythm of Ravel’s Bolero, the “RoboEboli” team with two traditionally clad dancers controlled by a robot dancing to Rossellini’s Tarantella and the “Roboteam” caterpillar robot that danced to the rhythm of the “Bruco, bruco” song.
The “Miticos" team qualified for the final on the 20th of March at the Campidoglio Protomoteca against the “Pianeta Aurora” team from the Mozart Middle School of Rome.
On the evening of the 18th, we returned to Eboli, but immediately organized our return to Rome for the finals with teachers, parents and our energetic Headmaster.
On Saturday, March 20th, we were up at 3 am. Yes, it was a little stressful, but we were ready to go and hardly felt the tiredness. At four thirty we set off on the bus: some of us sleeping, others playing. The time passed quickly and before we knew it we were in Rome.
At the Campidoglio, waiting for our final, we watched the humanoid soccer finals. It wa amazing to see them fall over and get up and score!
It was fantastic to see robots dancing to Michael Jackson’s music and our dancer’s dresses swirling in the air. We prayed that everything would go right and we received a lot of points. When they proclaimed us the winners we sounded our motto: “We are the Champions, we are the best, back in Rome as Winners.”
At the awards ceremony, we received a five hundred euro prize and above all the right to participate in the World Championships in Singapore! Here we come …
The students of the “Salita Ripa” fourth grade.
