NI pilot Mars Colony-themed competition for ages 17+

Since its inception in 2004, the robotics competition has used NI technology via LEGO MINDSTORMS. It now opens a new level of competition to give students an advanced programming option using the same software as professional engineers in virtually every industry.

Johnson Jan, WRO Chairman of the Board, commented: “NI shares our belief that the best way to inspire students to pursue careers in science and engineering is to encourage them with fun, hands-on experiences. The new collegiate-level competition at WRO engages students using real-world robotics platforms powered by LabVIEW to teach engineering fundamentals and creative problem solving skills.”

As a sponsor of the World Robot Olympiad, NI has worked with the organisation to develop an advanced pilot competition based on NI LabVIEW system design software for students age 17 and up. The Mars Colony-themed competition becomes an official part of the global competition in 2014, when it opens to all WRO member countries.

Approximately 100 collegiate-level teams participated in this pilot and teams from 15 countries will advance to the final competition in Jakarta. This collaboration builds on the previous NI partnership with WRO. In 2012, NI was a global sponsor of WRO and supported regional teams and events in Costa Rica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria and Singapore.