SINGAPORE: Palestinian student Razan Shawar has traveled for 24 hours to showcase her team’s AI-powered invention at the World Robot Olympiad in Singapore, telling AFP innovation — not war — should be why people hear about her country.
The 15-year-old high school student from Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank said she dreams of making “something big, so the world can know that the one who did this is Palestinian.”
Together with the rest of the Palestinian delegation, she traveled from the West Bank via Jordan and Dubai to attend the three-day global robotics tournament in Singapore, which ended on Friday.
More than 1,500 competitors from over 90 countries and territories gathered in the Southeast Asian city for the event, which aims to harness the innovative spirit of the world’s youth to address pressing challenges.
Malaysia stamped its class in the tournament, winning a third of the contested medals in various categories, according to an AFP tally.
Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Canada, and the Philippines were also among the first-place awardees.
For the Palestinian students, who left without a medal, it was important to represent their nation on the global stage.
Palestinian delegations have attended World Robot Olympiads since 2014, but the Israel-Hamas war meant they did not send representatives at all to the 2023 edition in Panama, and since then, no participants from the Gaza Strip — only the West Bank.
Competing in the Future Innovators senior category, this year’s Palestinian delegation created a robot that can boost agricultural production.
The “Agribot,” supported by artificial intelligence technology, works by measuring six key soil parameters like moisture, acidity, and nutrients using sensors.
It takes precise readings with its mechanical arm, and the analysis can help farmers increase yield and reduce waste.
The students now aim to make it readily available to farmers who mostly rely on traditional methods, said Razan.
Jehad Abudayyeh, 16, said that agriculture “is so important in our country ... because it’s a way of life. I’m pleased that my project will help them.”
Team member Mustafa Assi, also 16 and hoping to become an IT engineer, dreams of a more conducive environment for technology to thrive.
“I hope my country will be safer and the war will end,” he said.
Razan hopes to shine a light on other aspects of Palestinian life apart from conflict.
“We want to show the world that we are not just under war, that we can ... stand here and show people and the world that we can do this, we can be in this competition,” she said.
“We made our project, we’re proud of it,” she added.
“Palestine has students who aim to be better, and show the world that Palestinians can.”
