Curro learners excel at World Robot Olympiad 2025
01 October 2025Curro learners showcased innovation and technical skill at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) 2025 national finals recently, winning top placements and making a strong impact across categories.
Standout achievements
Curro Waterfall’s Team Visionary Vortex earned second place in the Future Innovators – Junior age group with a robotic arm designed to support astronauts on space missions. Their design tackled key tasks such as plant growth, rock analysis, medical aid, and waste disposal aboard the International Space Station. Curro Aurora’s Team Foresight also impressed, placing second in the Future Innovators – Senior age group. Their project, a smart wearable necklace equipped with a forward-facing camera, assists visually impaired individuals by detecting obstacles and providing real-time feedback. ‘These results show the depth of talent and commitment across our schools,’ says Jurie de Jager, Curriculum Lead. ‘From junior to senior age groups, learners are showing that they can compete with the best in South Africa – and in the world.’
Curro’s national highlights at WRO 2025
- Curro Waterfall (Team Visionary Vortex): second place, Future Innovators – Junior
- Curro Aurora (Team Foresight): second place, Future Innovators – Senior
- Meridian Pinehurst: seventh place, Future Innovators – Junior
- Curro Durbanville High School: seventh place, Robomission – Junior
- Grantleigh: ninth and tenth place, RoboSports
National presence in robotics
This year’s WRO attracted nearly 900 teams across South Africa. Curro entered 141 teams from 31 schools, representing 368 learners. At the national finals, 17 Curro teams from 11 schools competed in four categories, supported by a panel of 19 Curro judges and four Curro category head judges.
Beyond the medals
The WRO is one of the leading international platforms for young innovators. The 2025 theme, ‘The Future of Robots,’ challenged learners to design solutions that address real-world issues and improve daily life. ‘WRO is not simply about building robots – it’s about preparing our learners for the challenges of tomorrow,’ explains Jurie. ‘They refine technical skills in robotics and programming while developing collaboration, resilience and creativity. These are the qualities that open doors to future studies, careers and opportunities in STEM fields – and help shape the innovators South Africa needs.’ Each year, new fields and missions are introduced for every age group, ensuring that participants stretch their technical ability while building teamwork and problem-solving skills. The WRO continues to give learners an opportunity to grow through a learning experience that combines coding, computational thinking, and engineering design with creativity and fun.