Teams from Zebra Robotics in Meadowvale made it to the World Robot Olympiad in Turkey.
Local sixth graders Zorez and Pranav were all smiles after representing Canada and winning fifth place at last November’s World Robot Olympiad in Izmir, Turkey.
Zorez, 12, a student at Eldorado Public School in Brampton, and Pranav, also 12, a student at Tomken Road Middle School in Mississauga, competed against 35 other teams in the final round of the prestigious contest, ultimately winning a coveted silver medal.
The annual robotics competition hosts 150,000+ students from 100+ countries, rotating its location each year. The theme of the 2024 competition was “Earth Allies.”
Students were asked to figure out how to “use our planet’s limited resources more efficiently and fairly” by designing and building a robot and then presenting their project to a panel of judges.
Zorez and Pranav competed in the “Future Innovator” category. Their robot, which they called “Terrabot,” is a “compact, 3D-printed robot capable of levelling soil and testing nutrients.” They designed it for small-scale farmers dealing with uneven terrain and poor soil.
“Our robot is crucial because food is essential to our daily lives. Traditional farming faces significant challenges, especially regarding carbon emissions and environmental impact,” Zorez said.
The boys worked hard for an entire year, planning, designing, building, programming and practicing for the competition. They are members of Zebra Robotics, a STEM school in Meadowvale. Working with the coaches there, the boys spent hours after school every week testing and refining their robot. They had to win multiple competitions at the different levels before making it on to the international finals in Turkey.
Meadowvale’s Zebra Robotics offers classes for kids and teens interested in hands on learning with robotics, coding and AI. They also run workshops for teachers who want to bring robotics into the classroom and for adults looking to upgrade.
“STEM education goes beyond just coding and robotics—it fosters creativity, critical thinking, and resilience, preparing students for future careers in innovation,” Zebra Robotics CEO and Founder Satish Thiyagarajan told the Meadowvale Pulse.
Three other teams from Zebra Robotics in Meadowvale also made it to the WRO in Turkey. The senior team, Alpha Nulls, placed eighth overall and junior team Miracle Monkeys and Woodchucks came in the top 20.
The 2025 WRO finals will take place at the end of November in Singapore. Local students represent Canada at world robotics competition The theme is “The Future of Robots” and Zorez and Pranav are already working on their next robot and hoping to bring home a gold medal for Canada.
