In 2023, Zebra Robotics brought three teams to Panama City, Panama for the World Robot Olympiad Internationals — and the results ranged from a historic, country-first podium finish to hard-fought lessons that set the stage for next season.
The Oceanic Pioneers — Dave Grewal and Shourya Seth — competed in the Future Innovators category with a project tackling a real-world maritime problem: a magnetic robot capable of climbing a ship’s hull vertically to clean it while docked, cutting cleaning time enough to save up to 30% in fuel costs. The idea resonated at every level. The team took first place at both Regionals and Nationals, then went on to win the Silver Medal at the World Finals — marking the first ever podium finish for Canada at a WRO International event. Zebra Robotics is proud to have been the team that brought that milestone home.
The Energizerz — Christian Dal Dosso, Madhes Kamal, and Tej Shah — took on RoboSports, one of WRO’s most physically demanding categories, where robots compete head-to-head in real time. The team finished first at Canada Nationals to punch their ticket to Internationals, where they advanced all the way to the quarterfinals — going up against teams stacked with university-level competitors. For a team built entirely of Grade 9 students, reaching that stage of the bracket was a remarkable result, and a sign of real things to come.
Miracle Monkeys — Vishnu Jeyakumar, Advik Bhagavatula, and Shlok Raval — competed in Robo Mission Junior, bringing real consistency to the competition. They opened strong on Day 1, finishing in the top 30, then came back on Day 2 to complete more than half the mission, closing out the event in the top 40% overall. For a young team, it was a result packed with lessons — and a clear sense of unfinished business heading into next season.
A historic podium finish, a deep playoff run against older competitors, and a strong learning experience — together, the three teams captured exactly what Zebra Robotics aims for at every WRO: ambitious ideas, real engineering, and the drive to keep improving.