Schoolgirls win international robot award

A team of schoolgirls have become the first from the UK to win an individual team award at a major robotics competition.

The group of five aged 15 to 17 years old, from Bournemouth School for Girls joined students from more than 190 countries at the contest in Athens.

All robots had to be created to solve real-world challenges such as food security.

The team won the Katherine Johnson Award for Engineering Portfolio, receiving medals for the way they designed their robot.

Dani who is a member of the team said the girls overcame challenges with prototypes and all "put in so much work".

She added: "I think it was nine weeks of building, prototyping, designing and then computing, it was a very jam packed schedule, so we're really happy to have come home with an award."

The group were the first all-girl team from the UK to participate in the contest.

Dani added that there has been an increase in the number of all-girl teams from across the world in the competition and she described it as "a lovely community".

"I hope it can show a lot of girls that it's something that they can do and can aspire to," she said.

Their teacher Toby Osborne said even though all of the teams at the contest were required to use the same kit, some of them were state sponsored and had a lot more time to practice than the girls from Dorset.

Mr Osborne said: "These girls have lost their summer holiday, we've been doing it at lunchtime and breaktimes."

He added he is "super proud" of the students and called it "quite an achievement".

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