Glenmuir High School to partner with Romanian team for world robotics competition
Published:Monday | April 11, 2022 | 12:05 AMCecelia Campbell-Livingston/Gleaner Writer
Glenmuir High School, through a partnership with the Romanian robotics team AutoVortex, will be attending the World Robotics Championship in Dallas, Texas, which takes place May 3-12.
The invitation to be a part of the team was extended after the Clarendon team helped their robotics team to cop first place in the recently held robotics competition at Jamaica College.
Dr Panea Ionut Valentin, coach and coordinator for the Romanian team, commenting on the partnership, said he was very impressed with the Glenmuir robotics team.
However, he said it was their willingness to assist when the robotics team was in a spot that impressed him the most. Without their help, he informed that they would not have been able to win.
For Valentin, “it was a sign from God that partnership is on the way”.
The world championship will be the second time the Romanian robotics team will be partnering with the team, as they chose them in the ‘partnership’ aspect of the local competition that was organised by First Tech and NCB Foundation – for which they walked away with the top prize.
HYBRID TEAM
For the world championship, AutoVortex is proposing a hybrid team comprising Romanians and Jamaicans.
Shamir Martin, one of the engineers and drivers for the team, in an interview with The Gleaner, said it is a special moment for them partnering with an international team.
Commenting on the assistance given, he said they (AutoVortex) reached out to them on their Instagram with a direct message and they responded by meeting with them in the night, giving them the equipment they needed to complete their robot.
“The next day, surprisingly, coincidentally, we were placed first and second together – Romania first and us second before the semi-finals,” he said.
Marsha Smalling, principal of the school, said she is proud of the team and their performance. She said the school is looking forward to seeing them at the world robotics competition in Texas.
“I am delighted with the partnership that we have established with the Romanian team. I am proud of our own team at Glenmuir, they have worked hard they have shown great leadership and they have been meticulous right throughout the journey and they demonstrated on Saturday, the benefits of just being human reaching out to the other team to strengthen their team,” she shared.
She also expressed happiness that the Romanians offered Glemuir High School the opportunity to partner with them in the world robotics competition. Smalling said the school will be doing whatever it takes for the students to take advantage of this opportunity.