Educational Impact of Competitive Robotics in Emerging Contexts: A Case Study from Peru

Education is essential for the development of emerging countries, fostering economic growth, social stability, and technological advancement. Competitive robotics provides a practical framework for students to apply and acquire technical knowledge through real-world challenges. This paper presents a case study on the development of Rockbot, a low-cost teleoperated MiniSumo robot, as a Project-Based Learning initiative at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Rockbot served as a reference for students to design and implement their own competition robots. Survey data revealed that 87.2% of participants reported academic and technical improvement, particularly in areas such as mechanical design, electronics, and programming.