On January 25, more than 300 students from over 50 general education institutions and organizations in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland will participate in the 7th Preiļi Robotics Championship (PRČ 2025). Fans are also invited to watch the exciting robot competitions created by students and electronics enthusiasts throughout the day—every year they arrive in large numbers, with the greatest interest focused on AntWeight battles and drone flights.
“Students find building robots from LEGO bricks and sensors exciting; the younger ones see it as play, but it’s a great opportunity to grow into knowledgeable IT and engineering students. We also have several colleagues on our team who were involved in robotics during their school years. Under the guidance of good teachers, this passion develops algorithmic thinking, teaches STEM skills that are very useful today, and fosters a deeper interest in the exact sciences. It should be noted that this year, too, we will be accepting talented young people for internships through mid-March—those interested in information technology and who see themselves in the IT field in the future—we invite you to apply!
Many of today’s robotics championship participants will certainly become outstanding professionals in our industry in the future! The competition environment fosters growth not only for the participants but also for robotics as a whole, as students must improve their robots every year to make them even more precise, powerful, easier to control, and so on, thereby gaining additional advantages in the fierce competition,” says Edžus Žeiris, director of SIA “ZZ Dats.”
The PRČ 2025 scheduled to take place at Jānis Eglītis Preiļi State Gymnasium is one of the stages of the Latvian Robotics Championship, where 81 prizes from sponsors and supporters will be won and awarded—SIA “ZZ Dats” has donated 1,000 euros for their purchase, and trophy sets will be awarded in 27 disciplines. Last year’s PRČ 2024 featured more than 350 competing robots. The overall standings are determined by each participant’s best stage results, and to become a winner, it is not necessary to participate in all rounds; attending the majority of them is sufficient—students mostly go to the events closest to their region, explains PRČ 2025 organizer and head of the Preiļi Robotics Club, Juris Erts.
“Student interest in learning robotics is high both in Preiļi and across the country as a whole. We can’t even accommodate everyone who wants to join the Preiļi Robotics Club at once. Moreover, interest in robot building is equally high among both boys and girls—especially when it comes to LEGO robotics. For example, one of our participants, fifth-grader Kārlis, travels as far as 50 kilometers twice a week to attend classes! By engaging in hands-on activities in robotics, students not only better master what they’ve learned in various subjects but also understand how this knowledge will benefit them in their future lives. “Several of our students are now continuing their studies at Riga Technical University, the University of Latvia, and other higher education institutions, where they have chosen IT, engineering, or programming, and acknowledge that the knowledge gained here significantly facilitates their studies,” says Juris Erts.
In the PRČ 2025 competition, participants will compete with two types of robots—using construction kits (LEGO, VEX) or using electronic components, known as open-design robots. The competition will feature Mini Sumo, LEGO Sumo, iRobot Sumo, LEGO Line Following, Open-Design Line Following, LEGO Folkrace, Open-Design Folkrace, Line-Following Robot Drag Race, Freestyle, AntWeight, FLL, VEX, WeDo, and drone disciplines. A laser show is planned at the start of the competition. In some disciplines, participants will be divided into age groups (students or amateurs/professionals). Robot designs must meet specific requirements regarding dimensions and weight, and other design restrictions and rules have also been defined. Additionally, competition participants will have to solve special tasks.
The Latvian Robotics Championship is held in stages—robotics competitions have been taking place in various cities across Latvia for 17 years. Throughout the season, participants compete both for victories in each stage and to become the overall season champions. The season runs from November 2024 to May 2025, during which time students and robotics enthusiasts will have the opportunity to showcase their robot-building skills across nine competition stages.
The opening of the Preiļi Robotics Championship on January 25, 2025, will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Jānis Eglītis Preiļi State Gymnasium; various competitions and the awards ceremony will continue until approximately 6:00 p.m.
The event program and a link to the live stream during the event are available at: https://ieej.lv/prc2025
Photographer: Ieva Babre
