Young inventors honored in robotics contest held in Izmir

Young inventors from around the world won recognition on Saturday as part of a global robotics contest in Turkey's Aegean.

"We have seen incredible robots with extraordinary strategies. Eighty-two teams from 40 countries did a great job here," said Sıddıka Semahat Demir, the Science Heroes Association chair, at the First Lego League Open International Turkey awards ceremony.

Demir added that inventors in the contest -- held in the coastal metropolis of Izmir --offered innovative solutions to the physical and psychological problems of astronauts such as space litter and created products such as sustainable food.

She also thanked the team coaches, volunteers, and the contestants' families.

"The values that ​​we shared brought us here today and most importantly, these values ​​will always unite us," said Demir, stressing the unifying power of the science.

The awards were given to inventors in 17 different categories.

​The South Korean team won first place, and four Turkish teams triumphed in two categories.

The First Lego League organizes global contests in robotics for children age 9 to 16 and helps both students and teachers build a better future.