Istanbul 2023

Istanbul 2023.

For the fourth time, the robotics team of Andrija Mohorovičić Gymnasium from Rijeka participated in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, which took place in Istanbul from March 24th to March 31st, 2023. The competition itself lasted three days, from March 27th to 29th, during which our team competed in matches—each round featuring alliances of three teams versus three others—in an effort to qualify for the FIRST Championship.

As explained on the official FIRST website, the competition is designed so that high school students from around the world, under strict rules and with limited time and resources, must raise funds, develop a team brand, design and program a robot that will play a set game against peers of similar interests and skills. This type of competition is the closest high school students can get to experiencing real-world engineering. Teams are guided and mentored by teachers, and the competition season culminates in the FIRST Championship.

In Istanbul, the Crobotics team of GAM was represented by students Karlo Smirčić, Karlo Kajba Šimanić, Teo Vozila, Toni Kukec, Borna Manestar, Vanja Srdić, Erik Mikšič, Nika Ćosić, Petra Turčić, and Lada Bilić, together with their mentors, Professors Patricija Nikolaus and Goran Boneta. Using their knowledge and the resources available, our team creatively built a robot capable of completing the assigned tasks within a very limited timeframe.

Countless hours of work, all our knowledge, and tremendous effort were invested in building the robot to achieve success in the end.

Our participation in the competition was filled with challenges from the very beginning. Just five minutes before the start of the match, our robot faced serious technical issues, and the team had to act quickly to fix the problem. The biggest issue during the matches was a malfunction in the robot’s arm, which was responsible for carrying cubes and cones to designated shelves. Despite these difficulties, we spent the entire day in the arena, diligently working on repairs and striving to achieve the best possible results.

In order to compete, we also had to pass a robot inspection, which added to our nerves. However, throughout the competition, we gained invaluable experience and met other teams, including the Florya Bisons, who generously offered help and support when we needed it the most. Their collaboration was truly inspiring.

Exploring the city and traveling from the hotel to the arena were also unforgettable experiences, allowing us to learn more about the local culture and surroundings.

Despite all the difficulties, the team achieved 5th place in the final matches, which marks our best result so far.