Presec Legon’s CleanSweep Stands Out at World Robot Olympiad 2025​

Ghana’s growing presence in global robotics education was proudly reinforced at the 2025 World Robot Olympiad (WRO) in Singapore, as PRESEC Legon’s robotics team, CLEANSWEEP, delivered an outstanding performance on the international stage.

The competition, held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo Centre, brought together thousands of students from more than 90 countries, all competing to design and present robotic solutions to real-world challenges. Representing Ghana in the Future Innovators (Senior) category, CLEANSWEEP earned a silver medal and placed 20th out of 73 teams, the highest ranking achieved by any African team in the category this year.

“This achievement shows what Ghanaian students are capable of when given the opportunity to compete globally,” a team coach noted. “Our students proved that innovation and determination can stand alongside the very best in the world.”

While many top-performing teams from Europe, Asia, and North America benefit from long-term corporate sponsorships, advanced laboratories, and institutional funding, Ghanaian teams often compete with limited resources.

“Most teams at this level have years of structured funding and access to state-of-the-art equipment,” a team official explained. “For Ghanaian students to reach this level with far fewer resources speaks volumes about their talent and resilience.”

CLEANSWEEP’s success highlights the untapped potential within Ghana’s schools and the importance of consistent support for robotics education at the basic, secondary, and tertiary levels.

At the heart of CLEANSWEEP’s success was Cleanover, a model solution that demonstrates how an autonomous robotic system could clean solid waste from gutters.

The project was inspired by a challenge familiar to many Ghanaian communities, choked drainage systems that contribute to flooding, environmental pollution, and public health risks. Cleanover was designed to autonomously navigate gutter systems, detect solid waste, and remove debris efficiently, reducing the need for manual, hazardous cleanup.

By combining robotics, environmental awareness, and practical engineering, the students showcased how technology can be applied to address everyday problems in urban communities.

This achievement goes beyond a single medal. It represents a growing opportunity for stakeholders, corporate organisations, institutions, and individuals to invest in the future of Ghanaian innovation. With sustained sponsorship and partnerships, robotics programmes in Ghana can:

• Expand access to robotics education across more schools

• Provide modern tools, kits, and training facilities

• Support participation in international competitions

• Encourage innovation focused on local and national challenges

• Develop a pipeline of future engineers, technologists, and problem-solvers

Cleanover is proof that our young people can build solutions that matter. What they need now is support to go further, dream bigger, and transform Ghana from a participant into a leader in global robotics innovation.