The winning team from KKU Secondary Demonstration School – DINONAUT Team – comprises Mr. Sivanach Saengsuwan (Seen), Mr. Wachirawit Arayasajjapong (Fu), two 10th graders, and Miss Fasai Jasmine Fuangchan (Fasai), an 11th grader of Khon Kaen University Demonstration School, Secondary Section (Faculty of Education), entered the 2024 Thailand Open Robotics Competition at the national level. The event was organized by Imagineering Education IMAKE Innovation, King Mongkut Institute of Technology Lad Krabung, Kasetsart University, and King Mongkut University of Technology North Banagkok, at Paradise Park, G Floor, Bangkok on Saturday March 30 – Sunday March 31, 2024.
This competition was organized to find Thai representatives to enter the World RoboCup in the Netherlands and the Japan Open in Japan. Competitors were divided into 3 categories: Logistics, @Home Education, and Junior Rescue. DINONAUT Team has beaten their rivals from all over the country and became the first out of eight teams that entered the final round in the Logistics League category before winning the first prize. It was the only team scoring 90 points. The team will join the Faculty of Engineering under the robotics and AI program of the King Mongkut Institute of Technology Lad Krabung as the Thai representatives to join the World RoboCup Industrial Logistics League in Japan.
(From left) Mr. Wachirawit Arayasajjapong (Fu), Mr. Sivanach Saengsuwan (Seen), and Miss Fasai Jasmine Fuangchan (Fasai)
Before reaching this success, it was not an easy thing. DINONAUT Team related that after applying online to the event, they made and submitted a proposal and was selected as one of the final 8 teams to train at the King Mongkut Institute of Technology Lad Krabung in Bangkok for 2 days before they got a basic robot to return home for further development and coding for different missions. This step took 2-3 weeks.
“The important thing making us win was because we trained until we were able to solve immediate problems, calculate and write codes accurately. This made the LOGISTIC robot with ROS (ROBOT OPERATING SYSTEM – V1 – NOETIC able to be automatically controlled. It can make a survey based on a map and can move an item from one point to another.”
Besides the happiness from winning, the competition built experiences that motivated them to learn and develop skills in robotics and coding. It will be their Portfolio for their next level of education at the university level. They would be walking the path of their dream and enjoy it in the future.
Mr. Watcharain Saengsuwan, the parent of Sivanach Saensuwan (Seen), one member of DINONAUT Team, was someone behind the scene of success. He mentioned that the Parent Association always supports external learning of skills of KKU Demonstration School, Secondary Section, so that the students would obtain the future skills that can be of real use. He has trained at the SATIT KKU ROBOT & AI CLUB with Asst. Prof. Wiccha Fuangchan, Ph.D., and Ajarn Somchoke Kaewuthat, an advisor of the club. They are looking for new venue and chance for students to learn and do new challenging things for their experience in the real competition.
“The children joined because they enjoy it. For us the parents, we support them in all aspects, from giving information, providing the place, and all. This competition field is very challenging for it has never opened for secondary school students before. It is the first time the children could do this mission. And because of their attempts and determination, they win.”
Ajarn Sunet Sriboonlert, Deputy Director of KKU Demonstration School Secondary Section (Faculty of Education) said that the instruction of the school is in accordance with the necessary 21st Century skills, and it aims to make students full of creativity and become innovators. The school supports the KKU ROBOT & AI CLUB and reduces classroom time for students to learn about what they are interested in outside classroom. The school coordinates with the students’ families, too.
“Parents are important in establishing the club. The school supports in terms of classroom times so that there is no impact on the development of skills they are interested in. We ask for the budget from the Parent and Teacher Association for the 3 students to travel to the competition at the World RoboCup Industrial Logistics League in Japan. This is a model of success that will also inspire other students. At the same time, it helps the school to develop the curriculum by emphasizing the aptitude and interest of students to be more efficient, for their next level of education in universities.”
News: Watchara Noichompoo
