2024 Cayman Islands National Robotics Team

CAYMAN ISLANDS NATIONAL ROBOTICS TEAM We are Team Cayman Islands, a group of dynamic high school students and FIRST Tech Challenge competitors from seven Cayman Islands high schools. Our team consists of eight members aged 14 to 17 years old.

Strong teamwork, collaboration and friendship is at the heart of who we are.

The Cayman Islands robotics journey began when the Cayman Islands participated in the 2018 FIRST Global Challenge in Mexico City. Following that event, the Cayman Islands began a FIRST Tech interschool programme that included all Cayman Islands high schools. Our national team has representation from several of our high schools across our three islands – uniting as one national team.

United by our passion for robotics, we share a love for STEM and tech innovation. As a team, we share our passion for STEM through community outreach and by inspiring Cayman’s youth to get involved in robotics. We are excited that FIRST Global provides us with a platform to help raise robotics awareness and Team Cayman Islands is determined to be a country that recognises robotics as a sport.

We feel deeply connected to this year’s theme ‘Feeding the Future’. As a small island nation with limited productive capacity, we import most of our food. We are excited to help develop solutions that can address food security.

“Like any team sport, robotics teaches the value of teamwork, communication, time management, practice and the ability to perform under pressure.

Most importantly it is great fun, especially having the opportunity to compete on the international stage where the team can pit their wits and apply their STEM skills against teams from all over the world.”

Glenda McTaggart

Senior Manager Education Programmes

LITT

AYM LE C

AN

60 miles northeast of Grand Cayman

YM CA

AN

C BRA

90 miles northeast of Grand Cayman

WEST BAY

Rum Point Starfish Point

Seven Mile Beach

NORTH SIDE

NORTH SOUND Camana Bay

GEORGE TOWN

GRAND CAYMAN EAST END

Airport

BODDEN TOWN

SOUTH SOUND

CARIBBEAN SEA

ABOUT THE CAYMAN ISLANDS The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas territory comprised of three islands in the Caribbean Sea just south of Cuba and west of Jamaica.

Our national robotics team members primarily reside in Grand Cayman, with one from Cayman Brac. The member from Cayman Brac flies between the islands weekly via our national flag carrier, Cayman Airways, to participate in team meetings.

Grand Cayman is the largest of three islands, spanning around 76 square miles and measuring 22 miles long. Visitors to Cayman enjoy incredible dive and snorkel sites, and most will visit “Stingray City”, located on a sandbar off Grand Cayman, where stingrays gracefully swim and mingle with our guests.

Another interactive attraction is the Cayman Turtle Centre, where you can snorkel in a lagoon with green sea turtles or see various indigenous colourful birds in their aviary. Tourists enjoy heading inland to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, home to the endangered endemic Blue Iguanas, which can be spotted roaming freely through the park. There is also a conservation programme to increase their population.

We hope you will come visit us in the Cayman Islands.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE CAYMAN ISLANDS Capital city:

Expatriate population:

GEORGE TOWN 102 SQUARE MILES

86,251

National flower:

SILVER THATCH PALM

Official language:

National bird:

Indigenous to Grand Cayman:

BLUE IGUANA

86.8°F/30.5°C

Nationality:

Average low:

CAYMANIAN

76.3°F/24.6°C

Tourists annually:

1.7 MILLION+

130+

GRAND CAYMAN PARROT

Average high:

ENGLISH

Nationalities:

(Cayman Islands Government, 2024)

WILD BANANA ORCHID National tree:

56%

Total population:

Size:

Official currency:

CAYMAN ISLANDS DOLLAR (CI) CI$1 = US$1.25

Political status:

BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY

This year’s theme of sustainable food production is one of the defining challenges of the 21st century. Students from around the world will learn about and address the obstacles and opportunities to provide the global population with equitable, safe, nutritious and environmentally responsible food.

The Feeding the Future Robotics Challenge inspires participants to use their creativity and critical-thinking skills to design and build a robot from a standard kit of parts. FIRST Global teams must then maneuver their robot in a simulated world that emphasises the intricate and interdependent relationship between water, food and energy systems, while balancing these global resources to support a sustainable food system.

The topic of food sustainability is relevant and important to the Cayman Islands because we import the majority of our food and are therefore dependent on other countries. To learn more about how robotic technology could improve our ability to produce more food, the Cayman team visited local agriculture business Beacon Farms to hear how existing technology is helping them increase crop production. Robotics and new technologies must play a part in helping the Cayman Islands grow more food locally for the population.

ROBOTICS TEAM LIAM BENSON ATTENDS CAYMAN PREP & HIGH SCHOOL. Robotics is essential because it merges my love for technology and problem-solving.

Through robotics, I’ve developed programming, engineering, and teamwork skills.

My career goal is to become a mechanical engineer who specialises in designing and building advanced mechanical systems for the automotive industry.

This year’s FGC theme, “Feeding the Future,” resonates deeply with me. The effects of global climate change are causing significant food shortages in the Cayman Islands, where I’m from. Innovative solutions in farming are becoming essential to ensure that no one goes hungry. 2024 marks one of the hottest years on record, and this has impacted crop production across the Caribbean.

ABE MOHAMMED ATTENDS TRIPLE C SCHOOL. I have loved building and assembling things from a young age, from complex LEGO sets to toy vehicle sets. I immediately became passionate about robotics and more curious about engineering. Robotics has taught me crucial teamwork and communication skills. I am excited to represent my country nationally and work alongside other brilliant minds.

I love motorsports, in particular Formula 1 racing. I aspire to become a Formula 1 trackside performance engineer, travelling the world with the team and optimsing car performance. In addition to robotics, I enjoy football and playing the saxophone.

ARYAN RAMSAMMY ATTENDS LAYMAN E. SCOTT SR. HIGH SCHOOL, CAYMAN BRAC. Robotics is important to me because it allows me to express myself. It has also helped me develop problem-solving, persistence, and critical teamwork skills.

In the future, I aspire to work in the aviation industry as a pilot. I love participating in football, basketball and pickleball as extracurricular activities. My hobbies include playing video games, and I have a dog named Apollo.

DAENIELL PINK ATTENDS TRIPLE C SCHOOL. Robotics has given me the chance to improve my technical and communication skills. I aspire to major in computer engineering.

I’m from the Cayman Islands, which are very small, so the most exciting thing about this opportunity has been competing with others on a far grander scale. I look forward to seeing how other countries build their robots and their techniques.

I thought the FTG theme “Feeding the Future” was brilliant because it raises awareness of inequality in food security. Some people don’t have to think twice about where their food comes from, while others can only think about how and where to get their next meal.

ROBOTICS TEAM HARRY COWELL ATTENDS CAYMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL. After participating in underwater robotics and FTC for two years, I became passionate about robotics. I enjoy the opportunity to develop in many areas, including design, engineering, collaboration, team building and problemsolving. Over the past four years, I have become more knowledgeable about the impact of design on the robot’s performance. I’ve learned never to give up, even when the robots don’t perform as you planned.

I look forward to representing the Cayman Islands in Athens, meeting new people and learning new skills. I am interested in using my experiences from the robotics and STEM programmes to build a career in entrepreneurship and future product development.

JAMIE JOHNSON ATTENDS CLIFTON HUNTER HIGH SCHOOL. Since childhood, I have been captivated by constructing things, starting with Lego and moving on to robots. Dismantling and reassembling them brings me immense satisfaction, and each experience holds special memories for me, making robotics a significant part of my life. I am excited about the collaborative spirit that ignites our team. Each member brings unique skills and perspectives, which I believe will be the cornerstone of our success!

In my free time, I shoot hoops, lose myself in the rhythm of a favourite song, or dive into a virtual world; each activity offers a unique way to unwind and recharge.

I am interested in this year’s theme, which examines soil degradation and food distribution challenges stemming from a growing human population.

MEGHA CHERAYATH ATTENDS ST. IGNATIUS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. Robotics is important to me because it has taught me so much. It has helped me with my selfconfidence, my ability to work with others, and my problem-solving skills. I’ve gained valuable friendships and developed critical thinking skills, which are helpful in many situations, not only in robotics. I plan to someday work as a genetic engineer or molecular biologist.

I love nature and being outdoors. I especially enjoy trekking and want to visit as many countries as possible. This year’s theme is relevant as food insecurity has grown due to ongoing global conflicts.

Essential questions about consumption patterns and management of food waste need to be addressed.

GARSON GARDINER ATTENDS JOHN GRAY HIGH SCHOOL. A key reason robotics is important to me is its potential to drive innovation. Through robotics, we can create solutions for some of the most pressing challenges facing our society. The field of robotics pushes the boundaries of what is possible. It encourages us to think outside the box, constantly seeking new and improved ways to enhance our lives. As a member of the Cayman Islands national robotics team member, I look forward to representing my country and bringing our talents and skills to the global stage. I plan to become a mechatronic engineer and apply everything I have learned throughout this programme to develop valuable solutions for our daily lives.

TEAM CAYMAN’S ROBOT Each of the 190+ participating countries receives the exact same kit of parts. The final product is a robot that showcases the team’s combined ingenuity and skill. It will travel to Athens, Greece, to compete in the 2024 FIRST Global Challenge bearing the Cayman Islands flag.

TEAM MENTORS GLENDA MCTAGGART Glenda is the Senior Manager Education Programmes at Dart. She has led the FIRST Tech Challenge interschool programme and competition since 2018. As the team manager and mentor, Glenda also leads the FIRST Global Challenge Cayman Islands national robotics team.

DESMOND WHITE As the subject leader for Design & Technology at John Gray High School, Cayman’s largest high school, Desmond has led the interschool FIRST Tech programme at his school since 2018.

Desmond has been a mentor and coach of FIRST Global Challenge national team since 2018.

MATTHEW MCTAGGART Matthew is a software engineer with specialities in computer vision, image processing and computer graphics. His area of focus includes medical technology with respect to image-guided intervention systems and early-stage screening for lung cancer and disease. Matthew has served as a mentor to the 2024 national robotics team.

KYLE FARRINGTON As an Engineer in Training at Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd., Kyle leads various Transmission & Distribution projects and mentors young engineers. He has also served as a mentor and primary referee for the FIRST Tech Challenge interschool programme since 2018 and is a new mentor for FIRST Global Challenge national team.

NAMITHA ABRAHAM As a Chartered Power Systems Engineer and Manager of Project Delivery at Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd., Nami leads complex energy projects and mentors young engineers.

She also serves as a mentor and head judge for the FIRST Tech Challenge interschool programme and mentor for the FIRST Global Challenge national team since 2018.

THE CAYMAN ISLANDS NATIONAL ROBOTICS TEAM IS SPONSORED BY: