10 young people from the state of Zulia created a machine they wanted to impress and showcase their technological skills at the FIRST Global Challenge Robotics World Championship, which will be held from October 13-16 under the name “Catatumbo”. Switzerland.

María Victoria Uzcátegui, mentor of the Venezuela robotics team, EFE He said the team worked six months to develop the robot. This started with a 3,000-piece kit that the FIRST Global organization sent to 190 participating countries.

«They are separate parts, motors, aluminum profiles, servo motors. Many parts and each country have to make the design as functional as possible with their own creativity.”

He added that each year FIRST Global presents a challenge revolving around a problem of global importance, and this year it’s time for carbon dioxide emissions.

“The FIRST Global Challenge organization selects a topic or issue of global importance each year. They represent on a field where 190 countries compete in alliance. The problems are represented symbolically (…) brings different challenges to the field for robots.”

“Catatumbo” is a Venezuelan machine trying to impress the Robotics World Cup

Therefore, they decided to name the machine in honor of the phenomenon known as “Catatumbo lightning”. It causes 250 lightning strikes per square kilometer approximately 300 days a year. And it turns this region of Zulia into one of the largest ozone producers on the planet.

“What we’re trying to show with all this, and what we’ve always wanted and been our main driving force, is that Venezuelans have so much potential. Young Venezuelans also have a lot to discover about themselves, and that’s what motivated us from the very beginning,” he said.