In an inspiring demonstration of innovation and teamwork, Texpand, a South African youth robotics team, recently made history by winning the 2024 FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) World Championships. Over 200 teams from across the globe were vying for the coveted title.
The South African team’s success was assisted in part by high-tech polymer components donated by polymer supplier, igus, whose contribution played a valuable role in enabling the team to achieve world-class performance.
School-going ‘engineers’
Team director and mentor, Greg Buckle, explains that the FIRST Tech Challenge is a prestigious international robotics competition designed to ignite a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) among high school students. Teams of young school-going ‘engineers’ are tasked with building and programming robots to perform specific tasks in competitive matches, which are designed to mimic real-world engineering challenges.
Each season, teams face a brand-new robotics game and are given about four months to design, build and refine a robot to outscore their opponents.
Accessible
Texpand, a community team based in Cape Town, consists of students aged 12 to 17 from a diverse range of backgrounds. The team embodies the spirit of inclusivity, embracing diversity in terms of gender, race, geography and socio-economic status. Their passion for STEM, coupled with their mission to make robotics accessible to students across South Africa, has driven them to success on both national and international stages.
“A turning point for our 2024 season came when igus, through their Young Engineer Support programme, donated various polymer components to us, including Drylin linear guides, telescopic rail slides and energy chains. We soon found out why these are renowned for their performance and their durability. The ability to come up with a lightweight design enabled us to build our innovative robotic arm with seven degrees of freedom—a feature that was instrumental in sealing our victory,” says Greg proudly.
Prismatic joint
“Our robot’s prismatic joint, built using igus’ Drylin N low-profile linear rail also allowed the arm to extend laterally across the gameboard, providing the robot with an exceptional range of motion. Its prismatic joint enabled us to score game points more efficiently by reducing the time needed for driving, allowing our robot to handle game elements while competitors were still positioning their machines.
“This innovation helped us become one of the most sought-after partners in the alliance selection phase of the competition resulting in our securing the 2024 FTC World Championship title,” Greg adds.
Defining feature
He continues that while Texpand’s technical ingenuity and the polymer components from igus were crucial, the mentorship and collaborative efforts of the team was the key ingredient that led to victory. The volunteer coaches, like Greg, had no prior experience in robotics yet played a fundamental role in facilitating the team’s learning and development. They connected team members with professionals in STEM fields and fostered a culture of problem-solving, team work and continuous improvement.
Texpand’s win not only demonstrated their engineering prowess but also earned them the coveted 1st place Control Award. This award recognises innovative thinking in solving game challenges through autonomous operation, intelligent control and the integration of sensors. Their robot’s exceptional control system, driven by igus’ advanced mechanical solutions, was a defining feature that helped them dominate the competition.
Fostering talent
Says Greg, “Following our victory we have launched our “IGNITE” programme, an international initiative aimed at expanding robotics education in South Africa. Through this programme, we hope to secure more resources and sponsorship to start new teams and provide opportunities for young students across the country to participate in FTC. We want our success at the World Championships to highlight the potential of South Africa’s youth and underscore the importance of corporate support in fostering this talent.”
For the upcoming 2025 season, the team has already received additional polymer components from igus and is hard at work designing new robotic prototypes. Team Texpand’s goal is to defend their title while simultaneously raising the level of competition in South Africa by mentoring and supporting other teams.
