Five young women from Team Guyana Robotics, under STEM Guyana, have created a unique robot designed to respond to renewable energy-related issues and will present it at the FIRST Global Competition in Singapore next week.
This year’s theme, “Hydrogen Horizons,” focuses on teaching students about renewable energy and nurturing their problem-solving skills.
STEM Guyana is a technology education Non-Government Organisation that manages 41 learning pods to provide enrichment and academic support for children.
Guyana’s team consists of: sisters T’Sehai (16) and Xaria Holder (18); Italy Ton-Chung, 15; Ariel Taylor, 18; and Lateisha McArthur, 17. Supporting members who will be assisting either from at home or in Singapore are Arrianna Mahase, the team’s coach, Joshua Reece, Sahief Posse, Tarico Henry, and Daniel Eastman, to name a few.
T’Sehai, the co-captain of the team, on Tuesday told the News Room that countless hours of preparation have led to the team’s final product which will be taken to the international stage.
“For the past four months we’ve been practicing in and out of the clubhouse whether it was at Duke Lodge or the STEM Club at Kitty and we’ve been given the opportunity to go in and start from the engineering design process – and that’s brainstorming, researching, finding solutions – and all that for the different aspects of the challenge,” the Co-captain said.
Using hydrogen energy, this robot exhibits innovative ways of tackling world challenges including green energy storage. But why is there a need for cutting-edge renewable energy storage solutions? Because in creating an eco-friendly world, there needs to be storage for the renewable energy that is not being used for it to be utilised when that time comes.
The team will form alliances with students from different countries to encourage global cooperation and collaborative innovation. Some 200 countries are competing and Guyana’s team has already started its collaboration with some of them.
The youngest of the team, Italy Ton-Chung, 15, assists with the communications for the team. This enabled them to meet with other country teams and swap ideas and hold discussions on several topics that robotics and technology can respond to.
She said the intent is to inspire the next generation and promote curiosity of the possibilities that exist for a technology-focused future.
“Technology and robotics are basically our future so you have more job opportunities opening in these fields.
“…you don’t really see that many girls in the field now but as the years pass by more of them are joining and we’re hoping that team Guyana Robotics and STEM Guyana can get more girls joining,” she said.
Meanwhile, Xaria said she feels prepared and believes that the team will make Guyana proud.
“I expect all of us to go out there and do our best because once we go out there and do our best, I am 100 per cent sure we will make Guyana proud,” the younger Holder said.
