Every great journey starts with a simple idea. In the case of “Plaisiobots”, Plaisio’s innovative educational robotics competition, one idea is enough to give wings to the imagination of students from all over Greece to create their future.

In the latest call of the competition, “Plaisiobots: the Race 3.0”, more than 700 high school students from all over Greece responded, without even requiring prior knowledge of robotics. Inspired by the UN’s 11th Sustainable Cities and Communities Goal, 168 of them moved on to the next phase and dedicated more than 7,392 hours in total to courses and workshops at 14 educational centers across Greece.

The celebration culminated in the grand final at the Dais Sports Centre, where 42 teams presented their ideas. Among them, the Carsoneers team from Heraklion, Crete, stole the show with their “ASTY wrap up”: a robot that redefines biofuel production, making it faster, simpler, and more economical. Their dream won the grand prize: a field trip to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), at the heart of innovation.

Five days where technology meets imagination
The Carsoneers’ expedition – Daphne Siderakis, Evangelia Stratigis, and Maria Mamaki – to San Diego was a learning and inspirational experience.
On the first day, the students saw how hidden layers in artworks are revealed using AR/VR technology at the CHEI Lab, learned how robots are programmed for safe, autonomous movement, and discussed the challenges and ethical dimensions of AI with an AI researcher. The day ended with a dive into science as they operated marine robots in the ocean via start-up Seasats.

On the second day, they learned how engineering saves lives: they watched live strength tests of earthquake-resistant structures and participated in a wet lab at the School of Biomedical Sciences, seeing 3D printed implants up close.

In a live demonstration at the Biomedical Engineering Lab, they watched a live demonstration of 3D engineering in a virtual laboratory.

On the third day, they learned about the process of how an idea becomes a prototype in the Design Lab and MakerSpace, saw robots caring for dementia patients, and visited The Basement, where they learned about UCSD’s business incubator and learned about its activities. The tour ended at the futuristic Geisel Library, an architectural symbol of the university.

The fourth day opened wide the world of technology: from the Qualcomm labs, where they discussed with Christos Komninakis and learned about the applications of 5G and AI.

Beyond the labs: Culture, nature, and inspiration
But the journey was not limited to the classrooms. Carsoneers had the opportunity to stroll and relax in Mission Bay’s waterfront park, and tour the historic and contemporary neighborhoods of Little Italy and Downtown. They also met and exchanged experiences with Greek engineers working at giant companies like Apple, research institutions, and start-ups, admired sea lions and seals at La Jolla Cove, and had a moving evening with the Greek community in San Diego, exchanging stories, smiles and dreams.

A project that builds tomorrow
At a time when technological progress is unstoppable, Plaisio, through the Plaisiobots institution, wants to inspire children to use it to make our world a better place. Plaisiobots is not just a robotics competition. It is a platform that fosters creativity, enhances empathy and brings together young people with a passion for technology and the world around them. Through initiatives like this, Plaisiobio is actively demonstrating how technology can inspire, unite and educate.

And if we learned anything this year, it’s that the future is written by children, with ideas, boldness and a lot of love for what’s to come. The next Plaisiobots is approaching, and the pages of the future are waiting to be filled with new visions.