Ukuqala iqembu le-FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) eNingizimu Afrika kwenzeka kalula, kodwa indlela ihluke kancane kuleyo echazwa emafolamu aseNyakatho Melika okubhalelwe wona iziqondiso eziningi. Ngamafuphi: bhalisa iqembu nge-FIRST, uthole umeluleki oyedwa noma ababili, uhlele ukuoda kwakho izingxenye kusenesikhathi ngoba ingxenye enkulu ye-hardware ingeniswa ivela phesheya, bese uthola noma uqale umdlalo wokuzilolonga wasendaweni ukuze abafundi bakho bathole imidlalo yokuzijwayeza ngempela. Nakhu ukuthi ingxenye ngayinye yalezi isebenza kanjani esimweni sasekhaya.

Kuhilelekani ku-FIRST Tech Challenge

I-FIRST Tech Challenge ingumncintiswano wamarobhothi wabafundi abacishe babe semabangeni angu-7 kuya ku-12. Isizini ngayinye kwethulwa umdlalo omusha, ngokuvamile ngoSepthemba, bese amaqembu achitha izinyanga ezilandelayo eklama, akha futhi ehlela irobhothi elizothola amaphuzu kulowo mdlalo. Amarobhothi akhiwa ngesethi echaziwe yezingxenye ezivunyelwe, asebenza nge-hub yokulawula ekulo irobhothi, futhi ahlelwa nge-Java kusetshenziswa i-Android Studio, umhleli we-Java osemrobhothini, noma umhleli wamabhulokhi kwabasaqalayo. Imidlalo idlalwa ngokubambisana kwamaqembu, ngakho ukusebenzisana namasu kubalulekile njengobunjiniyela.

Ngaphandle kwerobhothi uqobo, amaqembu agcina incwadi yobunjiniyela, enze imisebenzi yokufinyelela emphakathini futhi ethule kubahluleli. Kusondelene nokuphatha iphrojekthi encane yobunjiniyela kunokwakha into eyodwa eyenziwa kanye, okuyingxenye yesizathu sokuthi abafundi bazuze kangaka.

Isimo saseNingizimu Afrika

I-FTC isebenza ngaphansi kohlelo lomhlaba wonke lwe-FIRST, ngakho iqembu laseNingizimu Afrika libhalisa ngendlela efanayo nanoma yiliphi elinye iqembu, ngezindlela ezisemthethweni ze-FIRST, bese lincintisana emicimbini yesifunda eholela emathubeni kazwelonke nawamazwe ngamazwe. Umphakathi lapha muncane futhi usabalele kakhulu kunowaseMelika noma kunowaseYurophu, futhi lokho kunezinhlangothi ezimbili. Mancane amaqembu aseduze, kodwa lawo akhona ajwayele ukusiza ngesihle. Umsebenzi wakho wokuqala ukuwathola: bheka amaqembu asesifundazweni sakho, uthinte izikole esezivele zincintisana, bese ucela ukuza esikhathini sokwakha noma emcimbini. Ukubona irobhothi langempela nomdlalo wangempela kususa iningi lemfihlakalo kubafundi nakubeluleki ngokufanayo.

Ukungenisa izingxenye ezweni

Umehluko omkhulu ongokoqobo emaqenjini aseNingizimu Afrika yizindlela zokuthutha impahla. Iningi le-hardware evunyelwe yi-FTC, njengama-control hub, ama-motor namakhithi okwakha, likhiqizwa phesheya futhi kumele lingeniswe ezweni. Lokho kusho izikhathi ezinde zokulethwa, izindleko zokuthumela, nokukhululwa emakhastoms okumele kuhlelelwe. Imikhuba embalwa ingasindisa isizini yonke:

• Oda kusenesikhathi. Phatha i-oda lezingxenye njengokungathi lizothatha amasonto, hhayi izinsuku, ikakhulukazi lapho isizini isanda kuqala uma abahlinzeki bematasa kakhulu.
• Oda izingxenye ezengeziwe. Ama-motor, ama-servo namakhebuli ayaphuka. Beka eceleni cishe u-10 kuya ku-15% wezindleko zekhithi yakho ukuze uthenge izingxenye ezengeziwe nezinto ezisetshenziswayo, ukuze ingxenye eyodwa ephukile ingamisi ukwakha.
• Hlanganisa okuthunyelwayo. I-oda elilodwa elikhulu livamise ukuba ngcono kunamancane amaningana kokubili ekuthumelweni nasekuphathweni kwamakhastoms.
• Thenga endaweni yangakini lapho ungakwazi khona. Amathuluzi, izintambo, izibopho, amabhethri nezinto zikagesi zokwakha amaphrothothayipha kuvame ukutholakala eNingizimu Afrika, ngakho ungenisa kuphela lokho okuqondene ne-FTC ngempela.

Kulelo qoqo lasendaweni lezinto zikagesi ezijwayelekile, amathuluzi nezingxenye zokwakha amaphrothothayipha, umhlinzeki oseduze usindisa amasonto okulinda. Isitolo sethu siqu sinohlobo lwezingxenye nezinto ezisetshenziswayo amaqembu azithatha njalo.

Ukwenza isabelomali ngamarandi

Imali ivamise ukuba yinkinga yokuqala, ngakho yihlele ngezigaba ezicacile kunokuba yinombolo eyodwa eyesabekayo. Isabelomali se-FTC esizwakalayo sihlukana sibe yimigqa embalwa:

• Ukubhalisa kweqembu nge-FIRST.
• Ikhithi eyisisekelo yerobhothi nezinto zikagesi zokulawula, umugqa omkhulu kunayo yonke futhi ovame ukungeniswa uvela phesheya.
• Izinto zenkundla ezimayelana nomdlalo othile zokuzilolonga.
• Izingxenye ezengeziwe nezinto ezisetshenziswayo.
• Ukuya emicimbini.

I-hardware engeniswa ivela phesheya nezindleko zokuhamba yikho okucindezela izabelomali zamarandi, ngakho yilezo zinto ezimbili okufanele uqale ngazo ukufuna abaxhasi. Amabhizinisi asendaweni, abazali kanye nesikole sakho yizo izindawo ezivamile zokuqala, futhi izinkampani eziningi zizolisekela iqembu le-STEM elinezindleko ezicacile neliziveza kahle. Izinto ezingaphinde zisetshenziswe njengesakhiwo, ama-motor namathuluzi ziyaqhubeka zisebenza ezizinini ezilandelayo, ngakho unyaka wokuqala yiwona obizayo bese iminyaka elandelayo ibiza kancane.

Ukuthola abeluleki nokwakha amakhono

Iqembu alidingi umeluleki oseyazi kakade i-FTC. Lidinga abantu abadala abangasiza abafundi bafunde ukubhala izinhlelo, ukuxhuma izintambo nokuphinda balungise, futhi abazobakhona njalo. Onjiniyela, ochwepheshe be-IT, abafundi basemanyuvesi nabantu abakwenza lokhu njengothando bonke bangaba abeluleki abahle.

Abafundi nabo benza kangcono uma befika sebenolwazi oluthile lokubhala amakhodi nolwezinto zikagesi kunokuqala kokungenalutho ngoSepthemba. I-Java ilulimi lomncintiswano, kodwa ukucabanga okuyisisekelo (ama-loop, i-logic, izinzwa, ama-motor nokususa amaphutha) kudluliseka kusuka cishe kunoma iyiphi iplatifomu yabaqalayo. Amakilasi ahleliwe yindlela eyodwa yokwakha leso sisekelo. I-akhademi yethu yaseKapa ifundisa khona kanye lezi zisekelo, futhi ibhodi elilula kwabaqalayo elinjenge-sheenbot∞ livumela abafundi ukuthi bazilolonge ekuhleleni nasezintweni zikagesi ngendlela eshibhile ngaphambi kokuthi bathinte i-hardware yomncintiswano. Ama-workshop asemaholidini esikole yenye indlela yokuhlanganisa ukuzilolonga okuningi esontweni elilodwa.

Yakha umphakathi wasendaweni wemidlalo yokuzilolonga

Ngenxa yokuthi amaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika ahlakazekile, imidlalo yokuzijwayeza yiyo into eshoda kakhulu kuwo. Ungakulungisa lokho ngokuhlela imidlalo yokuzilolonga, imicimbi engekho emthethweni lapho amaqembu amabili noma ngaphezulu eletha amarobhothi, adlale umdlalo wamanje bese abelana ngamanothi. Ngisho nentambama eyodwa ehholo lesikole enenkundla ekhonjwe ngeteyipi namarobhothi amabili ifundisa okungaphezu kwamasonto okuhlola nizedwa. Xhumana namaqembu aseduze, uzinikele ukusingatha, futhi kugcine kungabi nengcindezi. Uhlelo lwemidlalo yokuzilolonga oluhlangana izikhathi ezimbalwa ngesizini luyayiphakamisa indlela wonke umuntu adlala ngayo futhi lukhulise ngokuthula umphakathi ozogcina uncintisana kuwo.

Uhlu lokuqala lokuhlola

1. Nquma ukuthi ngubani ophethe iqembu: umeluleki oholayo neqoqo labafundi abazinikele.
2. Bhalisa iqembu ngezindlela ezisemthethweni ze-FIRST zaleyo sizini.
3. Thola futhi uvakashele iqembu elikhona noma umcimbi ukuze ubone i-FTC empilweni yangempela.
4. Bhala isabelomali samarandi ngezigaba bese uqala ukufuna abaxhasi be-hardware engeniswa ivela phesheya.
5. Faka i-oda lakho lezingxenye kusenesikhathi, kanye nezingxenye ezengeziwe, bese uthenga izinto zasendaweni endaweni yangakini.
6. Yakha izisekelo zabafundi zokubhala amakhodi nezinto zikagesi ngaphambi kokuqala kwesizini.
7. Hlelela umdlalo owodwa noma emibili yokuzilolonga ukuze iqembu lakho lithole imidlalo yokuzijwayeza yangempela.

Imibuzo evamile

I-FTC eyabafundi abaneminyaka emingaki?

I-FTC ihlose abafundi abacishe babe semabangeni angu-7 kuya ku-12. Abafundi abancane abanentshisekelo bangaqala ngezisekelo zokubhala amakhodi nezamarobhothi bese bekhuphukela eqenjini lomncintiswano uma sebekulungele.

Ingabe abafundi kumele bayazi i-Java ngaphambi kokujoyina?

Cha. I-Java ilulimi lomncintiswano, kodwa abaqalayo bangaqala kumhleli wamabhulokhi bese bekhula baye ku-Java kuyo yonke isizini. Ukufika unolwazi olujwayelekile lokubhala amakhodi nolwezinto zikagesi kusiza kakhulu kunokwazi i-Java ngqo.

Okokugcina

I-FTC ingafinyeleleka kalula esikoleni noma eklabhini laseNingizimu Afrika. Izinyathelo eziletha impumelelo azikhazimuli: bhalisa kusenesikhathi, uhlelele ukungenisa impahla ngokwezikhathi ezinde zokulethwa, wenze isabelomali ngezigaba ezicacile, futhi utshale ezisekelweni zabafundi bakho nasemphakathini wasendaweni wokuzilolonga. Yenza lokho kahle bese irobhothi liyalandela.