04 Ago Cayman Compass — Students get ready to release the kraken in robot games

The kraken is a mythical monster capable of devouring whales and whole ships. The Kraken built by a team of Cayman Islands science students is somewhat less dangerous.

Slightly smaller than a folding chair, the robotic vehicle, designed to pick up and transport small cardboard cubes, is not going to hurt anyone. But its designers are hoping it will crush the competition at this month’s “FIRST Global Challenge” in Mexico City.

The technological contest will pit students from more than 180 countries against one another. Winning not only involves being able to speedily maneuver and deposit cardboard cargo and mock solar panels, but finding ways to efficiently work with other teams and their robots.

This is the second year of the global competition and the first in which the Cayman Islands has sent a team. Glenda McTaggart, education programs manager for Dart Enterprises, which is sponsoring the team, said Cayman squeaked in as a last-minute addition. She had contacted the organization seeking information about next year’s contest.

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