Robots Meet Culture: Our Journey Begins
"Technology can do more than solve problems—it can preserve stories, celebrate identities, and connect generations."
When most people think of robotics, they think of machines doing work in factories or futuristic robots—but what happens when robotics connects with culture?
That is the challenge we have embraced as part of the Robots Meets Culture Innovation Challenge, inspired by the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Future Innovators 2026 theme. As IT Enablers, our role extends beyond building a project. We are creating a practical example that demonstrates how technology, creativity, and computational thinking can be combined to address real cultural challenges within our communities.
Our project serves as a showcase and guide for fellow ITEs who will be embarking on the same journey. Rather than simply presenting a finished product, we want to share the thinking, planning, research, design process, successes, and challenges that transformed an idea into a meaningful innovation.
Robots Meet Culture: Meet the team
Antonio is the Project Lead for the Edunova and KILT LEGO Robotics Programme. Passionate, driven, and dedicated, he puts his heart and soul into every project he leads, inspiring ITe's and learners to explore innovation, creativity, and problem-solving through technology.
Monique is an IT Enabler at Knysna Secondary School and LRC Assistant who is passionate about empowering learners through digital skills and creative learning opportunities.
Together, they are using technology to celebrate and preserve local culture through their project, the Story Keeper Candle.
Robots Meet Culture: What is a micro:bit?
What if a device smaller than your smartphone could help you tell stories, solve problems, create inventions, and even bring culture to life?
The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized programmable computer designed to make coding and innovation accessible to everyone. Despite its small size, it is packed with features such as LED lights, buttons, sensors, sound, and wireless communication, allowing users to create interactive projects that respond to the world around them.
For the Robots Meets Culture Innovation Challenge, the micro:bit is our creative toolkit, helping us transform ideas into innovative solutions that celebrate culture and connect communities. It proves that even the smallest device can inspire the biggest ideas.
"Before we dive into our project, take a moment to see what makes the micro:bit such an exciting tool for innovation."
Robots Meet Culture: Why This Challenge?
Preserving Knysna's Stories Through Technology
Stories are an important part of culture, helping us preserve history, traditions, and community values. However, as screen time increases, traditional storytelling is becoming less common.
The Story Keeper Candle will be created to address this challenge by combining robotics and culture. Using a micro:bit and sensors, the candle shares recorded stories about Knysna's heritage, bringing local history and traditions to life while encouraging families and communities to reconnect through storytelling.
Our Project Journey
Like all good projects, we're not jumping straight into coding.
Over the next few weeks, we'll be following a structured design process that will help us move from an idea to a fully functioning prototype. Along the way we'll be:
- Exploring cultural challenges and opportunities
- Brainstorming possible solutions
- Researching and gathering inspiration
- Designing our ideas
- Building and testing prototypes
- Refining our solution
- Showcasing our final innovation
Robots Meet Culture: More Than a Project
This initiative is not simply about building a device.
It is about demonstrating how technology can become a bridge between culture and innovation.
As IT Enablers, we have the opportunity to lead by example, inspire creative thinking, and showcase how robotics can be used for meaningful social impact. We hope that by sharing our journey, ITEs will be inspired, and confident as they develop their own Robots Meets Culture projects.
When Innovation becomes more than technology—it becomes a way of preserving the stories that define who we are.
"When robots meet culture, the possibilities are endless."