Rwanda 4th National Robotics & AI Championship: Complete Coverage of AquaFlow, DeepTrace, and Winning Innovations

 

On Saturday, February 21, 2026, Rwanda's commitment to building a generation of innovators and problem-solvers took center stage at the Kigali Convention Centre. The fourth edition of the National Robotics Competition, held alongside the third AI Ideathon, brought together some of the country's brightest young minds to demonstrate how Rwanda's education system is successfully translating STEM theory into practical innovation. More than 500 students from secondary schools across all 30 districts competed in challenges ranging from archaeological exploration robots to AI-powered renewable energy solutions, showcasing the tangible results of Rwanda's investments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. This article provides comprehensive coverage of the competitions, profiles the winning innovations, examines what these events reveal about Rwanda's STEM education trajectory, and explores what they mean for students, teachers, and the country's broader Vision 2050 ambitions.

The Competitions: Two Tracks, One Vision

The event comprised two distinct but complementary competition formats, each designed to develop different dimensions of technological competence and innovation capacity among Rwandan students.

The FIRST Lego League (FLL) Championship - Robotics Track: This competition challenges teams to design, build, program, and operate robots that complete specific missions on a structured playing field. This year's theme, "Unearthed," required students to explore challenges facing the archaeological sector. Teams had to research real archaeological issues, design robots capable of simulating archaeological exploration and artifact recovery, and develop innovative solutions to problems in heritage preservation and site management. The robot game portion tests technical skills in mechanical design, programming logic, sensor integration, and strategic mission planning. Beyond the robot performance, teams are also evaluated on their innovation project (a solution to a real-world problem identified through research) and their demonstration of core values including teamwork, professionalism, and gracious collaboration.

Competitions

The AI Ideathon - Artificial Intelligence Track: Introduced as a complementary programme focusing specifically on AI-driven solutions, the Ideathon challenges students to develop artificial intelligence applications addressing real-world problems. This year's theme, "Eco-Innovators," directed students toward renewable energy solutions using AI. Unlike the robotics competition, which emphasizes physical engineering and mechanical problem-solving, the AI Ideathon focuses on software development, machine learning applications, data analysis, algorithm design, and the ethical deployment of artificial intelligence. Students must not only create functional AI solutions but also articulate how their innovations address specific sustainability challenges and align with Rwanda's development priorities.

Together, these two tracks create a comprehensive ecosystem for nurturing different but complementary technological capabilities. The robotics track develops hands-on engineering skills, spatial reasoning, mechanical problem-solving, and the ability to translate abstract concepts into physical solutions. The AI track develops computational thinking, software architecture, data science competencies, and the capacity to leverage emerging technologies for social impact. The combination ensures that Rwanda's STEM education pipeline produces graduates who are equally comfortable with hardware and software, physical systems and digital platforms, engineering and computer science.

AquaFlow: First Place AI Ideathon - Connecting Communities to Water Information

The top prize in the AI Ideathon category went to AquaFlow, developed by students from Rwanda Coding Academy. The project addresses a frustratingly common problem for households, businesses, and institutions across Rwanda: unexpected water supply interruptions that disrupt daily activities and economic productivity without advance warning.

Cynthia Marie Nishimwe, a Senior Six student specializing in Software Programming and Embedded Systems and a key member of the AquaFlow team, described the motivation behind the project: "There are times when water is unavailable, and people are not aware. When that happens, activities in households and industries come to a halt. Cooking stops. Businesses that depend on water cannot operate. Hospitals face challenges. If people knew in advance, they could prepare — fill storage tanks, adjust schedules, make alternative arrangements."

How AquaFlow works: At its core, AquaFlow is a digital communication platform that creates a real-time information bridge between water utilities (specifically WASAC - Water and Sanitation Corporation) and consumers. When supply interruptions are planned for maintenance, when unexpected breakdowns occur, or when supply patterns change, the system automatically notifies registered users through SMS, mobile app notifications, and web dashboard alerts. Users receive information about the nature of the interruption (maintenance vs. breakdown), estimated duration, affected areas, and expected restoration times.

But the innovation goes beyond simple notifications. The AquaFlow system integrates embedded sensors and AI monitoring at the household level. Small, affordable sensor units can be installed at key points in residential and commercial plumbing systems. These sensors continuously monitor water pressure, flow rates, and usage patterns. When anomalies are detected — such as sudden pressure drops that might indicate leaks, unusual flow patterns suggesting pipe faults, or consumption spikes that could signal wastage — the AI system analyzes the data and alerts users immediately.

The artificial intelligence component learns normal usage patterns for each household or facility over time, allowing it to distinguish between ordinary variations (like higher water use during morning hours) and genuine problems (like a continuous flow suggesting a running toilet or burst pipe). Early detection of leaks prevents the structural damage that results when water problems go unnoticed for days or weeks — foundation erosion, wall dampness, mold growth, and the associated health and financial costs.

Why this innovation matters for Rwanda: Rwanda has made tremendous progress in expanding water access over the past two decades. According to government statistics, national water access increased from approximately 58% in 2000 to over 90% in 2024. However, service reliability — the consistency and predictability of supply — remains a challenge, particularly during peak demand periods or when infrastructure maintenance is required. AquaFlow addresses this service gap not by increasing supply (which requires massive infrastructure investment) but by improving information flow and system intelligence, allowing existing infrastructure to serve users more effectively through better communication and early problem detection.

The project demonstrates several important characteristics of effective student innovation: it solves a real problem that students themselves experience (every Rwandan household has encountered unexpected water interruptions), it leverages appropriate technology (SMS for broad reach, AI for pattern detection, embedded systems for monitoring), it creates clear value for multiple stakeholders (utilities get better customer relations and leak detection data, users get advance notice and protection against damage), and it is realistically implementable with existing technology and infrastructure.

DeepTrace: Protecting Archaeological Heritage Through Robotics

In the robotics category, Hope Haven Christian Secondary School claimed the overall championship in the FLL Competition. Among their standout innovations was DeepTrace, a project addressing challenges in archaeological exploration and heritage preservation — directly aligned with this year's "Unearthed" theme.

Cadet Shema, a Senior Five student studying Mathematics, Physics, and Geography, explained the system: "Traditional archaeological exploration can be destructive. When you dig without knowing exactly where artifacts are located, you risk damaging them. Our goal is to promote accuracy in exploration while protecting artifacts."

The DeepTrace system combines two robotic technologies: First, an aerial drone equipped with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) sensors performs initial site surveys. The drone flies in systematic patterns over archaeological sites, using GPR technology to detect density variations in the soil that might indicate buried structures, artifacts, or human activity. GPR works by emitting electromagnetic pulses into the ground and measuring how those pulses reflect back — different materials (stone, metal, pottery, bone, undisturbed soil) produce different reflection signatures. The drone collects this data and uses AI algorithms to create a probability map of where artifacts are most likely located, allowing archaeologists to target their excavation efforts precisely.

Second, once promising locations are identified, a ground-based robotic probe performs careful verification and recovery. The probe is designed with delicate manipulation capabilities — sensors that detect when it encounters resistant objects, articulated arms that can excavate carefully around artifacts, and cameras that document finds in situ before removal. The robot can work in conditions that might be dangerous or impractical for human archaeologists: unstable soil, confined spaces, extreme temperatures, or sites requiring prolonged, repetitive excavation work.

Why this matters beyond the competition: Rwanda has significant archaeological and paleontological heritage, including some of the oldest evidence of human activity in the East African Rift Valley. However, archaeological capacity in Rwanda — trained professionals, equipment, funding, institutional support — remains limited. Many sites of potential significance have not been systematically explored, and when construction or development projects encounter archaeological materials, the response capacity is often inadequate.

DeepTrace represents exactly the kind of thinking Rwanda needs from its next generation of scientists and engineers: identifying a capacity gap in a nationally significant field (heritage preservation), applying emerging technologies (drones, robotics, AI) to address that gap, and designing solutions that are practical and scalable given local constraints. The students demonstrated not only technical competence in building functional robots but also sophisticated understanding of the domain problem they were addressing — they researched archaeological methods, consulted with experts, and designed their system to complement rather than replace human archaeological expertise.

Complete Results: Champions Across Categories

FIRST Lego League (FLL) Championship - Robotics Track:

First Place: Hope Haven Christian Secondary School - The overall champions demonstrated exceptional performance across all evaluation criteria: robot design and programming, mission completion accuracy, innovation project quality (DeepTrace), and exemplary demonstration of FLL core values. Their robot achieved high mission scores while maintaining consistent performance across multiple rounds, and their presentation of the DeepTrace innovation showed deep research and clear practical application.

Second Place: Maranyundo Girls School - One of Rwanda's leading girls' boarding schools, Maranyundo brought a strong combination of technical execution and teamwork to the competition. Their robot design prioritized reliability and strategic mission selection, ensuring high-percentage completion of chosen tasks rather than attempting all missions with lower success rates. Their innovation project focused on digital documentation systems for archaeological finds, complementing the exploration focus of other teams.

Third Place: ES Stella Matutina - This team distinguished itself with creative programming solutions and effective use of sensors. Their robot demonstrated particularly strong performance in missions requiring precise navigation and object manipulation. The team's core values presentation emphasized inclusive collaboration and mentorship, with older students actively teaching and supporting younger team members throughout the preparation process.

AI Ideathon - Artificial Intelligence Track:

First Place: AquaFlow - Rwanda Coding Academy - As detailed above, this water information and monitoring system won top honors for its practical applicability, sophisticated integration of AI and embedded systems, clear value proposition for multiple stakeholders, and strong technical execution. The judges particularly noted the team's thorough user research (they interviewed WASAC officials, plumbers, and households affected by water interruptions) and their roadmap for real-world implementation and scaling.

Second Place: Solsense - College de Gisenyi Inyemeramihigo - This project developed an AI-powered solar energy optimization system for schools and institutions. The system uses machine learning to predict energy consumption patterns based on historical data, weather forecasts, and institutional schedules, then optimally manages battery storage and solar panel positioning to maximize renewable energy use and minimize grid dependence. The innovation directly addresses the challenge of making renewable energy economically viable for institutions with limited upfront capital — by optimizing existing solar installations for maximum efficiency, the system improves return on investment and accelerates payback periods.

Third Place: Ecoloop - Rwanda Coding Academy - Ecoloop focused on waste-to-energy optimization using AI. The system analyzes organic waste streams (from markets, restaurants, schools, and households) to predict biogas production potential, optimize collection routing, and match waste generators with biogas facilities. The AI component forecasts production volumes, helping biogas plants plan capacity and helping waste generators understand the energy value of their waste. The project demonstrated strong understanding of circular economy principles and the role of data in making resource recovery economically sustainable.

What Makes These Competitions More Than Just Contests

Speaking at the event, Nelson Mbarushimana, Director General of the Rwanda Basic Education Board, contextualized the competitions within Rwanda's broader education transformation agenda: "These programmes represent more than competitions. They are building a generation that can innovate confidently and use technology responsibly. When students spend months researching a real problem, designing a solution, building and testing prototypes, failing and iterating, and finally presenting their work to judges and peers, they are developing the exact competencies Rwanda needs for a knowledge-based economy — critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and technological fluency."

The structure of both competitions deliberately cultivates these competencies through several key features:

Problem-based learning: Unlike traditional exams that test knowledge recall, these competitions require students to tackle open-ended problems with multiple possible solutions. There is no single "correct" answer to how to build an archaeological exploration robot or design an AI water monitoring system — teams must research options, make design trade-offs, justify their choices, and defend their decisions. This mirrors how real engineering and innovation work in professional contexts.

Teamwork and collaboration: Both competitions require team participation (typically 5-10 students per team). Students must divide responsibilities, leverage individual strengths, manage conflicts, communicate effectively, support each other through setbacks, and present unified results. These interpersonal and collaborative competencies are as important as technical skills for success in any STEM career, yet they are rarely explicitly taught or assessed in traditional classroom settings.

Iterative design process: Teams spend months preparing for the competitions — researching, prototyping, testing, failing, learning from failures, and improving designs. This iterative process is fundamental to engineering and innovation but is often absent from Rwandan secondary education, which historically emphasizes getting answers "right" on the first attempt. The competitions normalize failure as part of learning and improvement rather than as something to be avoided or hidden.

Communication and presentation: Technical competence alone is insufficient for winning. Teams must effectively communicate their research, explain their design decisions, present their solutions clearly to judges and audiences, and respond to questions and critiques. These presentation and communication skills are essential for any professional career but are particularly critical in STEM fields, where complex technical concepts must often be explained to non-technical stakeholders, funders, policymakers, and users.

Real-world application and social impact: By choosing themes like archaeological heritage (Unearthed) and renewable energy (Eco-Innovators), the competitions direct student innovation toward domains that matter for Rwanda's development. Students learn to think beyond "Can we build this?" to "Should we build this? Who would benefit? What problems would it solve? How would it be implemented in Rwandan contexts?" This orientation toward social impact and contextual appropriateness distinguishes problem-solving from mere technical exercise.

Government Commitment and the STEM Education Ecosystem

Claudette Irere, Minister of State for Education, described the competitions as vital milestones in Rwanda's education calendar since their introduction in 2023: "By designing, building, coding, testing, and presenting real solutions, students strengthen technical skills and ignite their passion for STEM. But these competitions also send a powerful message to students across Rwanda: innovation is not something that happens elsewhere, done by others. It is something you can do, here, now, with the education and support available to you."

The growth trajectory of the competitions reflects Rwanda's systematic approach to building STEM capacity:

2023 (Inaugural Year): The first National Robotics Competition involved approximately 150 students from 20 schools, primarily from Kigali and major urban centers. The focus was on establishing the competition format, training teachers and mentors, and demonstrating feasibility.

2024 (Second Edition): Participation more than doubled to over 350 students from 35 schools representing 22 districts. The AI Ideathon was introduced as a pilot program alongside the robotics competition. REB began systematic training of teachers in robotics and AI instruction methods.

2025 (Third Edition): Participation expanded to more than 450 students from schools in all 30 districts, ensuring nationwide representation. The AI Ideathon was formally established with its own evaluation criteria and prizes. Partnership agreements were signed with international organizations to support competition infrastructure and training.

2026 (Fourth Edition): The current competition involved over 500 students and achieved true national coverage with multiple teams from rural districts. The quality of innovations increased markedly, with several projects (including AquaFlow and DeepTrace) demonstrating readiness for real-world pilot implementation.

This growth is supported by significant ecosystem investments. Minister Irere specifically acknowledged partners including the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the ICT Chamber, STEM Inspires Rwanda, and the Global Learning Council. These partnerships provide: competition infrastructure (robotics kits, computers, software licenses), teacher training (workshops, online resources, mentorship), financial support (competition costs, prizes, travel for rural schools), and technical expertise (judges, curriculum development, international benchmarking).

Linking Competitions to the One Million Coders Initiative

Yves Iradukunda, State Minister at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, connected the competitions directly to Rwanda's One Million Coders programme, which aims to train one million Rwandans in digital skills, coding, and technology competencies by 2030. "When you build a robot or code AI, it's not just about the technology," he emphasized. "It's about resilience, critical thinking, and using innovation responsibly. The goal is not to produce one million people who can write code. The goal is to produce one million problem-solvers who use digital tools to create value, address challenges, and build Rwanda's future."

The competitions serve as both talent identification mechanisms and inspiration engines within the One Million Coders ecosystem. Students who excel in robotics and AI competitions are tracked for further opportunities — scholarships, internships, mentorship programmes, participation in international competitions, early admission to STEM degree programmes. Equally important, the visibility of the competitions — covered by media, attended by ministers and officials, celebrated in schools and communities — signals to younger students that STEM skills are valued, rewarded, and connected to meaningful opportunities.

This is particularly important for reaching students from rural districts and from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. When Maranyundo Girls School places second in the national robotics championship, it sends a powerful message to girls across Rwanda about their place in technology and innovation. When schools from Burera, Nyamagabe, and Rusizi compete successfully against Kigali schools, it demonstrates that innovation capacity is not limited by geography or resource availability — it can be cultivated wherever there are committed teachers, motivated students, and appropriate support.

Student Voices: What the Experience Means

Perhaps the most telling indicators of the competitions' impact come from the participants themselves. One student, reflecting on their experience, said: "Now I can make a robot do what I want it to do. Six months ago, I didn't know how motors worked or what a sensor was. Today, I can design mechanisms, write programs, and solve problems I couldn't even imagine before. But more than the technical skills, teamwork has shown me that collaboration is key to innovation. This experience has inspired me to pursue biomedical engineering — I want to design medical devices that can help people in Rwandan hospitals."

This quote captures several important dimensions of the learning experience. First, the development of technical self-efficacy — the confidence that you can learn, master, and apply complex STEM concepts. Second, the recognition that collaboration and teamwork are not peripheral to innovation but central to it. Third, the connection to meaningful career pathways — the student can now envision a specific STEM career (biomedical engineering) and understands how their current learning connects to that future.

Other participants spoke about: overcoming the fear of failure and learning to iterate when designs don't work initially; discovering unexpected aptitudes (students who thought they were "bad at math" finding that they excel at programming logic; students who considered themselves uncreative proving adept at engineering design); building friendships and networks with students from other schools who share their interests; and gaining confidence in presenting ideas to adults and authority figures (the judges, ministers, and officials who evaluate their work).

What These Competitions Reveal About Rwanda's STEM Education Trajectory

The sophistication of this year's winning projects — AquaFlow's integration of AI, embedded systems, and communication platforms; DeepTrace's combination of drone technology, ground-penetrating radar, and robotics; Solsense's machine learning for energy optimization — reveals that Rwanda's investments in STEM education are producing tangible, measurable results at the secondary school level.

Just five years ago, robotics education in Rwandan secondary schools was essentially nonexistent outside of a handful of elite private schools. AI and machine learning were taught, if at all, as abstract theoretical concepts in university computer science programs. Today, Senior Five and Senior Six students are not only learning these technologies but applying them to solve real problems with solutions that demonstrate genuine technical sophistication and practical viability.

This rapid capability development reflects several reinforcing strategies: curriculum reform that has embedded STEM and digital literacy across the education system; massive investment in teacher training (over 30,000 teachers have received training in digital pedagogy and STEM instruction methods since 2020); infrastructure expansion (ICT labs, internet connectivity, equipment and materials for schools); partnership and ecosystem building (linking schools with tech companies, universities, international organizations); and competitions and showcases like this one that create visible milestones and motivation.

The trajectory is clear: Rwanda is systematically building the human capital foundation required for a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy. These competitions are not peripheral events or public relations exercises — they are integral components of a comprehensive strategy to transform education, cultivate innovation capacity, and position Rwanda as a regional hub for technology and problem-solving.

Looking Ahead: Pathways From Competition to Impact

For the students who participated in this year's competitions, several pathways now open up. Winning teams are typically supported to represent Rwanda at international competitions such as the FIRST Global Challenge and regional robotics championships, providing exposure to global standards and peer learning opportunities. Individual students who demonstrate exceptional aptitude may be offered scholarships for university study in Rwanda or abroad, internships at technology companies, or places in specialized training programmes.

Perhaps more importantly, some of the innovations developed for the competitions may transition from student projects to real-world implementations. AquaFlow, for instance, has already attracted interest from WASAC officials who attended the competition and see potential for pilot testing the system in selected districts. DeepTrace's approach to archaeological exploration could be adapted for use by the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda or by universities conducting heritage research. These real-world applications represent the ultimate validation of student innovation — not just winning a competition but creating solutions that are adopted and used to address genuine community needs.

For Rwanda's education system, the competitions provide valuable learning about what works in STEM education and what requires adjustment. REB officials observe which schools consistently produce strong teams, analyze what those schools are doing differently (teaching methods, mentorship structures, equipment access, extracurricular support), and work to replicate those success factors more broadly. The competitions also reveal gaps — which districts or school types are underrepresented, which technical domains students struggle with, what support teachers need — allowing for targeted interventions.

Conclusion: Innovation as National Capability, Not Individual Talent

The fourth National Robotics Competition and third AI Ideathon demonstrate a fundamental shift in how Rwanda approaches innovation and technological capacity. Historically, innovation was often treated as the province of exceptional individuals — rare geniuses who possessed innate talents that could not be systematically cultivated. The competitions embody a different philosophy: innovation is a capability that can be taught, practiced, and developed in any student with access to good instruction, appropriate resources, and opportunities to learn by doing.

The students presenting robots, AI systems, and innovations at the Kigali Convention Centre were not selected because they were identified as prodigies. They are ordinary Rwandan students from ordinary secondary schools who have been given extraordinary opportunities to learn, experiment, fail, improve, and ultimately succeed. This democratization of innovation — making it accessible not to a privileged few but to students across all 30 districts — is perhaps Rwanda's most significant education achievement of the past five years.

As Minister Irere noted in her closing remarks: "What we celebrate today is not just the winners of a competition. We celebrate the possibility that exists in every Rwandan student — the possibility to create, to innovate, to solve problems, and to build the future. These competitions are not endpoints but starting points. The question is not whether our students can innovate. They have proven they can. The question now is how many more students we can reach, how quickly we can scale what works, and how effectively we can translate this student innovation into lasting impact for Rwanda's development."

For the teachers, parents, and students who participated in this year's competitions, the answer is already clear. Rwanda's future is being built not someday, somewhere else, by someone else — but today, in robotics labs and AI workshops across the country, by students who now know they have the knowledge, skills, and support to turn their ideas into reality. The innovations showcased on February 21 are not merely impressive student projects. They are evidence that Rwanda's transformation into a knowledge-based economy is already underway, driven by a generation that is learning to think, build, and innovate with confidence and purpose.