The atmosphere at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) was electric on 8th October 2025 as students showcased their creativity and engineering prowess during the 4th Robotics DOJO Competition. This year’s event, themed “Autonomous Mobile Robot for Sustainable Agriculture,” attracted 11 teams drawn from JKUAT, the University of Nairobi, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, and the Technical University of Kenya.

Judged by Prof. Kiyasu and Prof. Sakaguchi from Nagasaki University, Japan, this year’s competition challenged participants to design and build autonomous robots capable of addressing agricultural needs from crop disease detection, object recognition, to field navigation with a focus on sustainability and real-world impact.

Funded under the AFRICA-ai-JAPAN Project(JICA), the DOJO initiative continues to serve as a vital platform for nurturing local talent and fostering innovation. It provides intensive, hands-on training in robotics design, fabrication, embedded systems, control theory, and autonomous navigation, empowering students with industry-relevant skills and problem-solving capabilities.

Limit Breakers Emerge Victorious

The team Limit Breakers from JKUAT emerged as the overall winners with their outstanding agricultural robotics project. Team leader Nathan Kingori, a final-year Electronics and Computer Engineering student, described the competition as “an eye-opener and an invaluable platform to sharpen industry-relevant skills.”

“We are so excited. We worked hard, including evenings and weekends, to develop our innovation. Because of teamwork and dedication, we have emerged as winners,” said Kingori.

Driving Robotics for Africa’s Future

In her opening remarks, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi, the JKUAT Vice Chancellor (represented by Prof. Bernard Ikua, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration), reaffirmed the university’s commitment to strengthening Kenya’s capacity in robotics research and technology.

“Robotics is no longer the stuff of science fiction; it is a vital component of our present and future. From healthcare and agriculture to manufacturing and transportation, robotics will play an increasingly critical role in driving innovation and improving lives,” she noted.

Speaking at the same event, Mr. Ogihara Hiroshi, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Kenya, lauded the competition for providing students with a strong platform to explore emerging technologies and build competencies in robotics and artificial intelligence.

African Ingenuity for Sustainable Growth

Coordinated by Dr. Shohei Aoki, the DOJO programme continues to nurture African ingenuity, equipping students with skills in robotics design, control systems, and autonomous navigation. This year’s focus on sustainable agriculture encouraged teams to build autonomous mobile robots for real-world use from planting and weeding to precision field mapping.

Over the years, the DOJO has trained more than 200 students, many of whom have progressed to research, entrepreneurship, and advanced innovation projects. Beyond the technical knowledge, the programme fosters teamwork, creativity, and resilience, qualities essential for Africa’s technological transformation.

The success of the 2025 competition was made possible through the leadership of Dr. Shohei Aoki and Dr. Jackson Githu, the Principal Investigator (PI) of the DOJO Project, with organizational support from Lenny Nga’nga and Billy Oluoch, who played a key role in coordinating activities and preparing participants for the event.

As the curtain closed on the 2025 edition, it was clear that the DOJO continues to do more than just train roboticists; it is cultivating a new generation of innovators ready to drive sustainable change across the continent.

Article written by: Billy Oluoch