The Faculty of Electronics (FCE) of BUAP, along with the Hipercubo group, held the 19th edition of Coocotrón 2024, a competition where high school and university students demonstrated their skills in creating animated robots. The opening of the event took place at the Casa de la Bóveda, with the presence of Rector Lilia Cedillo Ramírez, who praised the creativity of the participants in bringing to life characters related to legends and myths of the Day of the Dead, as well as horror stories, through scenarios and electronic devices.
On this occasion, 57 students participated organized into 17 teams, highlighting the presence of the Vice-Rector of Extension and Cultural Dissemination, José Carlos Bernal Suárez, and the promoter of the competition, Dr. Daniel Mocencahua Mora. The combination of tradition and technology was reflected in the robots representing nahuales, wolves, alebrijes, catrinas, mythological beings, and the underworld, cursed dolls, and the charro negro.
In Coocotrón 2024, more than half of the contestants came from BUAP high schools, including the regional ones in Tehuacán and Acatzingo, as well as newly enrolled students at Ciudad Universitaria 2. The young participants not only put into practice their knowledge of microprocessors and Arduino technology, but also developed soft skills such as teamwork, stress and pressure management, as well as oral expression.
Among the winners of this competition, "La Pascualita" took first place, "Ahuitzotl" second place, and "Alebrije Jaguixozal" third place. The evaluation criteria included research on the legend or myth, the aesthetic presentation of the project, the design and movement of the animatronic, as well as the documentation that contestants presented through a QR code to share the construction process of their robot and the story it narrated.
Academic and researcher at FCE, Daniel Mocencahua, highlighted the growth of Coocotrón in each edition, emphasizing the importance of this competition not only in the technological field but also in the development of skills and creativity of the young participants.
