The 13th edition of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) will be held in Mexico in 2024, with a focus on democratizing robotics and promoting STEAM education among children. The tournament aims to increase the involvement of girls and young people in these disciplines, as their participation has been at only 30 percent in previous Olympiads.
Jorge Hernández Huerta, the national organizer of the WRO, emphasized the importance of providing children with experiences in various fields to lay the foundation for their future career choices. The WRO aligns with Mexico’s mission to introduce children to robotics and other technology-related fields from a young age. Over the past 12 years, Mexico has made significant strides in introducing children as young as five years old to robotics and STEAM education, with the WRO playing a pivotal role in promoting learning opportunities in these areas.
The WRO is a thematic competition that offers various categories for teams of children and young people aged 8 to 19 to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges using STEAM and robotics. This year’s theme focuses on “Allies of the Earth,” challenging teams of 2 or 3 participants, guided by a coach, to design, build, and program a robot model capable of completing challenges aligned with the competition’s theme. Registration information, rules, and details can be found on the WRO website. The tournament will have qualifying rounds between May and July, culminating in the national final in September and the international final in Turkey in November.
