World Robot Olympiad 2022

Lebanese Team Defies the Odds

It was a bet that paid off handsomely. The decision of luxury home designer and builder LIVV, a Las Vegas-based company with a technology-focused subsidiary in Beirut, to sponsor the Lebanese team participating in the finals of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) proved a bull’s eye hit. The team surprised friend and foe by claiming a top spot well ahead of powerhouses such as Germany, Japan, and even the United States, claiming seventh place on the global ranking.

Team Coach Michelle Germany is proud of his kids and sure that they’ll do even better next time: “This is an exceptionally tough competition that involves hard work and dedication. For the past few years, our team has labored day and night to master the intricacies and interplay of motors, sensors, coding, logic, math, and the many other fields that come together in robotics.

Unprecedented

The outstanding result of Team Lebanon at the WRO is even more impressive once the state of the crisis-hit country and its education system is considered. Whilst a veritable fount of talent, Lebanon has suffered an economic depression which the World Bank called “unprecedented in history.”

LIVV CEO Philippe Ziade sees in the excellent result obtained by the Lebanese team at the WRO finals a vindication of his trust in the potential of the country’s youth: “I just knew they would not disappoint. We may be a troubled country, but the Lebanese people prove time and again that they possess the resilience and drive to succeed. If given half a chance, they do.”

Stephanie (13), one of the team’s members, already dreams about a career in engineering: “It is very satisfying to watch the amazing results of our work. It is also wonderful that we managed to put Lebanon on the map as a power to be reckoned with in robotics.”

Roaring Back

Joe (16) explains that the first day of the two-day tournament did not go as well as expected: “We had a few issues and came in on the 28th spot. However, we made up for that on the much more important second day when we successfully accomplished the tasks set by the organizers in just under two hours.”

Joe considers the World Robot Olympiad an important steppingstone for his career. He plans to major in physics and computer science: “The experience was awesome. Here we were, plucky Lebanon, competing with the big countries. And they were actually afraid of us. Next year, we plan to be on the podium.”

Fouad (17) plans to build on the experience and is convinced the Lebanese team can compete with the very best: “During the covid-lockdown we honed our skills, expanded our knowledge, and did some research at home. We had plenty of time to prepare and came to Germany eager to compete.”

Team and event organizer Jenny Chemaly explains that the team had many obstacles to overcome to first organize a WRO competition at national level and then to get the winning team to Germany for the finals: “The economic crisis, covid, and the sad state of our schools all conspired against us. Thanks to the unwavering support of Livv Homes, and of course to the hard work of the team, we were able to meet those challenges and show all and sundry that Lebanon can successfully compete on a global stage.”