📋 Tender Overview
It was designed with Lego pieces by three high school students from Tacna: it obeys the users voice and has obstacle detectors.
A multifunctional chair for people with disabilities, designed by three high school students from Tacna, won first place in the III Hackathon in Educational Robotics and Digital Technologies 2024 organized by the Ministry of Education (Minedu).
The chair has been designed with Lego pieces, works with artificial intelligence and obeys the voice of its user. In addition, it has sensors that detect obstacles or the end of a sidewalk to stop its movement and go back and protect the integrity of the person who uses it.
Its creators are students Sofia Tupac Yupanqui, Mariana Apari and Leonardo Ticona, from the fourth grade of secondary school at the IE Miguel Pro, who had Professor Alfonso Mayta as their tutor. They were the only candidates from this border region who got a place for the hackathon.
Sofia and Mariana already have experience in these competitions, since last year they took second place at the regional level of the National School Floral Games with another scientific project. This year, Leonardo joined them.
Mariana explains that the chair can be raised so that the person can reach objects, something that they would not be able to do in a normal wheelchair. For his part, Leonardo indicates that, in addition, it has folding robotic arms that help the user get in or out of bed or go to the toilets to give them greater safety and independence.
Sofia says that a month ago, her team, called Los Cibermiguelinos de Tacna, received the news that their multifunctional chair project had been selected to compete in the hackathon. From that moment on, they got to work and began to work diligently to fine-tune the chairs operation.
Teacher Mayta says that this project was specially designed for the hackathon and that, in each competition, his school always presents a new and unique project from its design, assembly and programming, because there is a lot of interest in robotics among the students.
After winning category C, the Minister of Education, Morgan Quero, congratulated these students and highlighted the teamwork carried out to develop this innovative project that improves the quality of life of disabled people.
The Cibermiguelinos of Tacna are proud to return triumphantly to their school with a national robotics award, the first of that level they have obtained. In their luggage they carry a trophy and medals made with 3D printing, electronic devices donated by educational allies and the illusion of contributing with new technological designs for the well-being of the community.
The III Hackathon took place from August 2 to 4 at the Huampani Convention Center in Lima, organized by the Directorate of Technological Innovation in Education of the Minedu. 202 students, teachers and experts participated in the event, creating robots to help people with disabilities and prevent the spread of fungi in plants.
