The all-girls STEM team (science, technology, engineering and maths) were competing as part of FIRST Tech Challenge UK, a robotics competition for 12-18-year-olds.
This year’s game, Into The Deep, presented by RTX, challenges teams to design, build and code robots for a water-themed game. During two-and-a-half-minute matches, teams navigate their robots through complex tasks, combining autonomous and driver-controlled operations.
The Control Award recognises teams that use sensors or software to increase their robot’s functionality and better solve the game’s challenges. They also received 3rd place for the Inspire Award, the challenge’s most prestigious award that recognises the strongest team across a range of categories including engineering, STEM outreach and innovation.
The event’s panel of industry judges stated: “This team has demonstrated an exceptional understanding of software engineering principles. Their implementation of industry-standard practices has truly inspired us, and we’re excited to see them grow into fully-fledged software engineers in the future.”
Twenty teams, aged 12-18, from across the capital showcased their engineering and coding skills as they competed for industry-judged awards that celebrate innovation, design, community outreach and more. The competition took place during British Science Week.
Top-performing teams, including Kraken, will progress to the UK Championship, set to take place at London’s Copper Box Arena on 26-27 June 2025.
FIRST Tech Challenge UK empowers young people aged 12-18 with the technical knowledge and soft skills to thrive in STEM and beyond. From September to March, working like teams in industry and often supported by a mentor, they design, build and program a robot to compete at progressive events. Teams hone new skills such as communication, teamwork, programming, project management, fundraising, design and engineering.
The programme is run by charity, FIRST UK, which aims to make STEM less intimidating, more diverse and inclusive. Supported by Arm, XTX Markets, RTX, Gene Haas Foundation, Bloomberg, Salesforce and Qualcomm, the charity is part of the global FIRST movement established in 1989, which reaches 650,000 young people worldwide each year.