Kathmandu— The Indian team ‘Invincibles’ won the Yantra Warz at the International Robotics Competition ‘Yantra 9.0’ in Kathmandu on Monday.

In the Yantra International League, Bot Minds emerged victorious against Team Destructors, and the Invincibles, representing India, clinched the Yantra Warz (30 kg robot battle) against Team Invincibles.

Yantra Battles is a furious but exciting moment for the audience—a battle against the in-between Invincibles and Team Destructors. It seems like a real battle in the field of robotics.

Over 100 teams, representing national and international teams from countries such as Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Ivory Coast, participated in the International Robotics Competition, according to the organizer, the Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN).

The Int’l Robotics Competition is a subsidiary ‘event’ of the ‘Yantra 9.0’ Science, Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Festival, which is successfully run from January 28th and 29th at Kavad Hall of Dasharath Rangshala in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Through the International Robotics Competition, six events unfolded, including the Yantra Kids, Yantra Teens, Yantra Warz, Yantra International League (soccer), Yantra Swarmanoid, and Yantra Business Cup, featuring both hardware and software competitions.

Team Eastern Robotics Club [ERC], Dharan, a remote district of Nepal, triumphed in the Yantra Business Expo as the winner, and Team St. Xaviers’ won the competition. Robo Rangers of Mahendranagar (Nepal) claimed victory in Yantra Teens against Team Goldengate.

Another team, ERC, secured first place in Yantra Swarmanoid against Team Himalayan Robotics Club, and Sampada Team B emerged victorious in Yantra Kids, with Sampada Team A as the runner-up.

In the National League robotics competition, RAN organized the “Yantra Kids” competition for the students studying in classes 4 to 8.

Similarly, RAN organized a RoboTeens competition for students who participated in classes 9–12, ages 12–16. Among the participants, Prathana Joshi, a class 9 student at Sunshine School Bhaktapur, said that she participated in the competition to gain knowledge of robotics.

Her team participated in the ‘Garbage to Gold’ competition and won the title. In this competition, a simple type of robot is given the task of separating solid waste and putting it in a dustbin.

‘Yantra 9.0’ was organized to send a message to other countries that there is a good atmosphere of robotics in Nepal, said Bikas Gurung, president of RAN. “It’s been twelve years in the development of the robotics competition in Nepal,” said President Gurung.

According to RAN, other auxiliary ‘events’ like Koshi Miniyantra, Madhes Miniyantra, and the AI Conference, which was completed during the “Yantra 9.0 Science, Tech, Entrepreneurship Expo, “AI Softbot Hackathon,” will be organized on February 3 and 4.

Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated Yantra 9.0 by playing robotics football on the first day. Mr. Oli, who is also the chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (UML), said in the opening session, “This is an important start and will have a far-reaching impact.” He extends his best wishes to the organizers and participants, anticipating an even grander 10th event.

Pramila Devi Bajracharya, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST), highlighted MoEST’s efforts in drafting policies to promote science, technology, and innovation. These policies aim to provide support to scientists and future innovators, to reduce Nepal’s brain drain.

Mr. Garret Wickerson, the Chief of Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Nepal, expressed eagerness to support business and innovation incubation initiatives in Nepal and extended congratulations and best wishes to all participants.

Er. Hirendra Man Pradhan, Chairman of AECoN, emphasized the significance of robotics in the current era and highlighted the practical applications of innovations witnessed in competitions like Yantra.

Mr. Shree Gurung, an advisor to the RAN, voiced disappointment over the event’s lack of recognition, despite its significant contributions, and highlighted Nepal’s substantial budget allocation but noted a lack of investment in technology.

Er. Bikash Gurung, President of RAN, said in the final ceremony that despite the financial constraints and challenges posed by the pandemic, he emphasized the importance of providing a platform for Nepal’s youth to showcase their talents in robotics and technology. Looking ahead, he outlined his vision to make Nepal a leader in robotics by 2045.