Baba-Da Hosts National Robotics and Tech Competitions for Ultra-Orthodox Students

Last week, the National Archaeology Campus in Jerusalem hosted the national robotics and research competition for ultra-Orthodox students in grades 5 through 8. The event marked the culmination of the "Atikotek" season, a unique Baba-Da program integrating archaeology, science, robotics, artificial intelligence, and technology within a supervised ultra-Orthodox framework. Prior weeks featured an app development hackathon for yeshiva students and a robotics competition for girls, with upcoming events planned for younger students across the country.

Throughout the year, participants engaged in research, planning, and developing innovative solutions to real-world challenges, fostering creativity, teamwork, and technological skills. During the event, students presented research projects, competed in robotics tasks, and showcased their work to a professional judging panel composed of volunteers from the Israeli Aerospace Industries. Additionally, Baba-Da drone program graduates demonstrated their piloting skills after completing a dedicated course and obtaining official licenses.

The championship was won for the first time by a team from Ganei Tikva, who overcame experienced groups despite facing significant challenges during the year. Their research project focused on designing a specialized robot for exploring caves, underground spaces, and narrow tunnels unsafe for human entry. The robot features advanced terrain mobility, AI-based archaeological artifact recognition, and documentation and collection capabilities, exemplifying innovative integration of technology and archaeology.

Awards for robot design and innovation went to teams from Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem, respectively, recognizing original technological solutions developed during the Atikotek challenges. Michal Ivgi, CEO of Baba-Da, emphasized the students' perseverance amid a complex year marked by war and educational disruptions, highlighting the program's role in nurturing a generation of skilled, creative youth grounded in ultra-Orthodox values.

Baba-Da has been promoting science, technology, and innovation education within the ultra-Orthodox community for over a decade, annually engaging thousands of students nationwide in robotics, drones, app development, research, and entrepreneurship programs that combine technological excellence with Jewish identity and 21st-century skills development.