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AKARTA: More than 270 students from Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bandung, Bogor, Denpasar, Solo, and Semarang will participate in the 6th Indonesian Robotics Olympiad from Aug. 8-9. The olympiad will be held by Mikrobot, the official distributor of LEGO Education, at the Senayan City mall in Jakarta.

"Our representatives have tested the participants in each city," said Bambang Rusli, coordinator of the event.

The participants are divided in elementary, junior high and senior high school categories.

The participants, working in groups, will make smart robot using Lego components. The robot must be able to perform various tasks such as passing through a labyrinth, shooting balls and navigating several obstacles.

"This competition is not only about winning. It's about educating the students to be aggressive in positive ways," Bambang said.

"The other important thing about this event is it also give parents a chance to show their support," he added.

The winners of each category will be sent as the Indonesian team to the World 2009 Robotic Olympiad in Pohang, South Korea, in November.