Minsk Open RoboTournament

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Annual international competition in sports robotics for children, youth and adults, competing in which takes place in various species and age categories. The formula of the Minsk Open RoboTournament is knowledge, creativity, diligence and equal opportunity.

Excerpts on the history of the Minsk Open RoboTournament

The first Minsk Open RoboTournament took place in May 2014 and coincided with a great sport event – the World Hockey Championship, held in Minsk. 45 children – pupils of various robotic study groups and centers from Minsk and Orsha – became the participants of the 1st Minsk RoboTournament. Already at the 1st Minsk Open Robot Tournament the schoolchildren skillfully played robohockey and demonstrated that educational robotics in Belarus not only exists, but occupies minds of schoolchildren and allows them to spend their free time with advantage.

In the autumn of 2014 the Minsk Open RoboTournament was held again, because the first competitions aroused great interest among children and teachers of robotics. The 2nd Minsk Open RoboTournament was held as a part of the festival of Japanese culture “Japanese Autumn in Belarus”, organized by the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Belarus. Participants not only tested their robots in martial arts, but also tried their hand at composing hockey.

Over time the Minsk Open RoboTournament outgrew the framework of Minsk and republican competition, and in 2017 RoboTournament acquired international status. From year to year the number of RoboTournament participants is increasing significantly: in 2016 it reached more than 200, in 2017 – more than 380, in 2018 – more than 550, and in 2019 – more than 1,200 robot technicians from different citiesand countries! On the 7th Minsk Open RoboTournament there were robot technicians from 5 countries (and 62 cities!): Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine.

Since 2017, along with an educational center “100 points”, the Association “Education for Future” has become one of the Minsk Open RoboTournament permanent organizers.

COMPETITIONS AT THE MINSK OPEN ROBOTOURNAMENT

Every year the organizers of the Minsk Open RoboTournament make the competition program more various, developing new types of competitive categories and subcategories that allow participants to show new knowledge and skills. Traditionally, the most spectacular and prestigious categories of the Minsk Open RoboTournament are “Duathlon” (or “Triathlon”), “Robofootball”, “RoboSumo” and “Follow the Path”.

At the Minsk Open RoboTournament there are both single robotics fight and group types of robo-sport. It gives not only single robot technicians, but also robotics teams a chance to show their quality.

In 2019 the RoboTournament was replenished with a significant number of new categories, among them there are robotics football, conducted according to the rules of World Robot Olympiad, and “CodeWheels” competitions based on computer vision and artificial intelligence technologies.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MINSK OPEN ROBOTOURNAMENT

For all the time of its existence the Minsk Open RoboTournament has already become a traditional competition in robotics in Belarus. The Minsk RoboTournamentis not just a contest, but an educational fest, an opportunity to prove oneself, to believe in one's strength and find like-minded friends.

Minsk Open RoboTournamentis open to all without exception. The main thing is an interest in robotics and a desire to learn. From year to year the open status of the RoboTournament is only confirmed.

In a large number of competitive categories there is no lower and upper age bars, since the robot technicians attracts both young and adult robotics.
Together with boys, girls who are interested in robotics, mathematics, and programming are actively involved in the competition.
In 2019 for the first time inclusive teams (“Inva-team” and “Inclusive girls”) took part in the Minsk Open RoboTournament.

In addition to the competitions useful career guidance events for teenagers often take place, speeches by representatives of leading technical higher educational institutions in Belarus are organized on the base of the Minsk Open RoboTournament. In 2019 within the framework of the VII Minsk Open RoboTournament the first in Belarus maker festival “Maker Fest” was held.