Students launch the largest educational robot

The largest educational robot in the world, "ASTRO 1", designed by students of PASCAL English School Larnaca, was launched from Europe Square in Larnaca, Cyprus, this afternoon, transporting the experiments of 1700 students from 27 schools in Cyprus.

As Elpidoforos Anastasiou, Professor at the Pascal English School in Larnaca / Researcher at the Eratosthenes Center of Excellence, told the Cyprus News Agency, the launch will be carried out using a meteorological balloon by the Meteorological Department.

He said that "ASTRO 1" is a Steam educational platform that combines robotics and space with which students can build devices to add various functions to it. At the same time, teachers and professors have the opportunity to use the platform in order to combine material of the Ministry of Education of Cyprus with the robot and to show students in practice how theory becomes practice for problem solving ".

He also noted that "the experiments of 1700 students from 27 schools in Cyprus will be on the construction. When the satellite returns to Cyprus, the students will analyze the findings in order to draw conclusions about the accuracy of their experimental predictions ".

Asked about the characteristics of the robot, Mr. Anastasiou answered that "one of its most beautiful features is the large disk that is located above the robot that is rotating and so today we can take the video from the stratosphere through the robot. "ASTRO 1" weighs 1400 kg, has a diameter of about ten meters, three meters high, its legs are driven by 24 hydraulic motors, while its unique design, like a spider, allows it to move easily, and can be placed on any surface using minimal energy ".

Asked to mention how much the construction of the robot cost, Elpidoforos Anastasiou said that "whatever it cost is worth it because the robot is not only for one school and one classroom but for 27 schools and 1600 students. "As an investment in education, the robot will offer thousands of times more results to students."