Management
Chris Mostert
Chris is the main founder of Robotwarz in South Africa
Ross Needham
Ross from Gear-Up. Gear Up is the brainchild of Ross Needham – a Cape Town-based robotics coach with a wealth of experience in the field of mechatronics.Widely recognised as one of the top robotics coaches and educators in the province, Ross has a track record for achieving success, with his First Lego League teams qualifying for Nationals 4 years in a row.
In 2018, he achieved his goal of coaching a team to represent South Africa at the International Championships in Detroit, USA.
Over the past few years, he has taught children at schools (extracurricular) and at home, as well as training teams for the annual First Lego League to make it to Nationals.
ABOUT RobotWarz
As the 4th Industrial Revolution takes global focus, the need for growth in STEM fields is
becoming more and more evident. In South Africa, many people undervalue our capabilities,
and how much we as a nation contribute to the global tech stage. What better way to
combine the thrill of sport, the world of technology, and national pride, than with visceral
robot-on-robot combat?
We aim to empower 8 teams to design, build, and program their own 100kg battle robot
(which will be remote controlled, with careful safety measures in place). They will then
compete in a series of fights, with intervals to repair and rebuild as needed. The fights will
take place in a large polycarbonate pyramid that provides ample safety and viewing access.
This format of competition has seen success in series such as Robot Wars (UK, 1998-2018)
Battle Bots (US, 2000-present) and King of Bots (China, 2018-present).
Audience Appeal
Youth:
Kids today have a warped view of STEM fields, if they have any idea at all. To most, working in automation means a bottling plant, or an assembly line. There is no real way for them to see how badass a career as a roboticist or game designer can be! RobotWarz provides a tangible goal, something to motivate learners to study towards a more technical career. It demystifies breaks down barriers to things like CAD design, programming and electrical engineering. When we demonstrated our own 100kg battle robot at rAge 2019, one of the biggest responses was one of shock. “Since when did we do cool stuff like this in SA? Isn’t this a 1st world thing?” Essentially, RobotWarz would help put robotics (and South Africa) on the map.Makers:
South Africa has a blossoming maker community that is particularly active in cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg. These communities are made up from hobbyists and professionals with resources and time to spare, who use what they have to support local entrepreneurs and businesses. They fill a gap, allowing people access to opportunities and skills usually far beyond their reach.Even now, they have been receiving a lot of positive attention during the national lockdown. Makers with 3D printers and laser cutters came together to produce PPE while local suppliers recovered from the drastic increase in demand. An event such as this really highlights the resources and creativity many smaller groups and individuals possess.