33 teams from 21 schools in 17 settlements took part in the national final. They reached the final stage after a successful performance of the four regional competitions in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Vidin, in which more than 350 students from 38 schools and 24 settlements took part.
Within the two days of the festival, the students presented their developments in the categories “Robo Design”, “Team Play” and “Research Project”. They also competed in the disciplines “Robo Game” and “Robo Sumo”.
EV3Premier Division Award
Champion: Gear Heads, Vidin, PG “Prof. Dr. A. Zlatarov”
Award in EV3div A Division
2nd place: Robo Terminators, Vidin, PPMG “Ex. Antim I”
Champion: RoboPro, Vidin, PG “Prof. Dr. A. Zlatarov”
SPIKE A Division Award
3rd place: STEAM TEAM, Vidin, Secondary School “Tsar Simeon the Great”
2nd place: IRONFIGHT, Vidin, Vocational School “Prof. Dr. A. Zlatarov”
Champion: CyberSamurais, Vidin, PG “Prof. Dr. A. Zlatarov”
SPIKE B Division Award
3rd place: RoboAleko, Kardzhali, PGI “Al. Konstantinov”
2nd place: I.C.A.K.A., Pernik, High School of Mathematics “Hristo Smirnenski”
Champion: Upgrade, Sofia, 55. Secondary School “P. Karavelov”
Award in the Arduino division
Champion: CyberRobo, Kazanlak, DAPR “ICT Center”
Beyond the rankings, the atmosphere and community behind the competition made the strongest impression – the mutual support between the teams, respect for the work of others and the desire to learn.
Among the most exciting moments of the festival was the presentation of the Monika Kovachka-Dimitrova Award for the development of the next generation in robotics. The award was established in memory of Monika Kovachka-Dimitrova – one of the main drivers of the “Robotics for Bulgaria” program and a number of other educational initiatives that inspired the interest of dozens of students in science and technology. At the end of last year, Monica lost the battle with a serious illness, but her contributions continue to live on through the community she helped build and through the people who continue her mission.
The award recognizes a mentor who not only achieves results, but also inspires, supports and develops his students. Its first winner is Desislava Tsokova from the Vocational High School “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov” – Vidin. As a long-term mentor in the program, she actively contributes to the development of robotics in Bulgaria, supports students and colleagues and is among the most engaged members of the community.
Robotics for Bulgaria Program
Created on the idea of the SAP Development Center in Bulgaria and implemented in partnership with the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation, the program supports teachers and school teams in robotics through trainings, equipment and opportunities to participate in competitions.
Since 2015, Robotics for Bulgaria has supported over 70 school teams, nearly 2900 students and more than 260 teachers from 120 schools in 57 settlements in the country.
Eleven years after its inception, Robotics for Bulgaria is a community of students, teachers and mentors who show that curiosity, perseverance and bold ideas can turn into real opportunities.
Because the most valuable result is not only the robot created, but the young person behind it – a person who already knows that he can invent, create and change.
