The AICitizens robotics team of the 'Al. I. Cuza' National College in Focsani has been invited to take part in the elite Multinational Tech Invitational (MTI) tournament which will be held in Maryland, USA - a competition reserved for a select group of top FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams.
The invitation follows the team's results at the FIRST World Robotics Championship in Houston, where AICitizens won the Edison Division as alliance captain, placed fourth worldwide, and received the Inspire Award - second place, one of the most prestigious distinctions for excellence in design, innovation, and the promotion of FIRST values.
"After an entire season of work, AICitizens returned from the World Robotics Championship in Houston with two major recognitions: the title of Winning Alliance Captain in the Edison Division, with all matches won, and the Inspire Award, second place - the highest distinction of the competition. For each of us, students and mentors, DECODE meant weekends spent at the robotics club, working on the robot or on activities. As representatives of Romania, we know we have the duty to pass on the experience gained in Houston, because beyond raising our performance as a team, our presence there must inspire and motivate the entire FIRST Tech Challenge Romania community," the team's PR representative, student Irina Curca, told AGERPRES.
A total of 352 teams from around the world competed in Houston.
According to team representatives, the Multinational Tech Invitational is a highly selective event that brings together teams recognized globally for engineering performance and robot efficiency under competition conditions. This year, only 44 teams received invitations.
The Multinational Tech Invitational brings together some of the world's strongest robotics teams and promotes excellence in robotics and engineering. In addition to competition events, participating students have the opportunity to interact with professionals in STEM fields and attend a thematic exhibition organized by the Space Sector of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, which connects competition robotics with real-world industrial and research applications.
The selection of AICitizens among the 44 invited teams confirms the international recognition of the technical performance and achievements of the Focsani students in major robotics competitions.
