The Helderberg Robotics Club will be competing in the World Robot Olympiad in Singapore. Image: SuppliedWhen you walk into Dr Anthony Williams' office at the Education Faculty, the first thing you’ll notice is the autonomous robot creations on his desk, and some of the spare parts scattered around the office.
Dr Williams is the manager of the Richard Van Der Ross Resource Centre at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and also the regional chair of the World Robot Olympiad.
The University supports the Helderberg Robotics Club and future roboteers from Firgrove, Macassar, Eerste River, and the surrounding areas. With UWC’s backing, the club has grown into a training hub where learners build, code and compete with robots - often starting with no prior experience.
The club competed in the provincial competition held at the Jakes Gerwel Hall at UWC, as well as the National World Robot Olympiad competition, where they won gold in two categories. They are now invited to the World Robotics Olympiad (WRO), which takes place in Singapore in November. Dr Williams said: “Robotics is cool because it’s constructionism in action. Learners don’t just absorb knowledge; they also create something tangible. That moment when they high-five after a robot completes a task? That’s real learning.”
The Helderberg Robotics Club’s journey to Singapore began with intensive training sessions hosted at UWC’s Richard Van Der Ross Resource Centre, where students learned to build robots using 3D-printed components, programme them in the Python programming language, and prepare for competition categories such as Future Engineers and Robot Tennis.
Teams have competed on the global stage before, and Dr Williams is proud of their achievements at home and abroad. “We’ve had learners win international competitions in New Delhi and Izmir,” said Dr Williams.
“One of our female participants built a robot so effective that other teams petitioned for it to be inspected for foul play. It was just that good.”
The Helderberg Robotics Club has been active since 2011, producing not only champions but also future engineers and computer science graduates. Many club alumni go on to study Computer Science and Education at UWC and at other institutions, and then they return as coaches at the club. As the Helderberg team prepares for Singapore, UWC will continue to champion robotics education as a tool for empowerment, creativity and transformation.
WATCH: The Helderberg Robotics Club in Action: HERE and HERE
