Team UAE celebrates winning gold in robotics and science competition

Global contest organised by US engineer Dean Kamen, who created the Segway

The UAE team won with a biopreservation system to protect endangered species such as the Ghaf tree. Photo: First Global Challenge

A group of UAE students celebrated bringing home gold medals over the weekend following a first place finish at an international robotics and science competition.

The students, known as Team UAE, emerged in the top slot earlier in the month for the Fred Smith global innovator award, named after the late FedEx founder, who was known to have an affinity for technology. Colombia won bronze and Iran won silver in the category.

The overall competition, First Global Challenge, took place in Panama from October 29 to November 1 and features competitors from 190 countries. It is sometimes referred to as the Olympics of Robotics.

“Winning Gold was the result of countless hours of collaboration, experimentation and teamwork,” said Team UAE captain Aarush Pancholi during a celebratory event in Dubai on Saturday.

Team UAE's winning project focused on the country's national tree, the ghaf. The UAE students presented a “biopreservation system designed to protect endangered species such as the ghaf tree without relying on freezing or electricity”.

Team UAE with their gold medals. Photo: First Global Challenge

The system, which Team UAE has called Stash, also uses AI and something called “sodium alginate hydrogels” to enclose “living cells in portable, low-cost beads that maintain viability for three to five days”, which could make it possible to transport endangered species.

According to a news release about the team's victory, the project was presented to scientists from around the world, professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and several experts.

“We are proud not just of the medal, but of creating a solution that can truly make a difference for biodiversity and communities worldwide,” Mr Pancholi said.

The First Global Challenge was created in 2016 by the US entrepreneur and engineer, Dean Kamen, who is widely known as one of the inventors of the Segway Human Transport device.

Team UAE consisted of eight students who attend Dubai College, Delhi Private School in Sharjah, Gems Modern Academy, New Millennium School and Dubai International Academy. The group's coach, Muhammed Mukhtar, reflected on Team UAE's achievement.

“This victory is a testament to the extraordinary dedication and ingenuity of our young innovators,” he said. “They have made the nation proud and shown that UAE students can compete at the highest level on the global stage.”