La Jornada: Zumpango students create robot for archaeological explorations in the subsoil

With the design of an exploring robot called Affectionwhich will support archaeological investigations, landslides or various circumstances that occur underground, a group of students from 315 Torres Quintero Secondary School, in San Sebastián, Zumpango, obtained their ticket to represent Mexico in the Asia Pacific Open Championship 2026, from July 9 to 13, in Sydney, Australia.

For three years, the group of young people, called Club InvestigaTorres, has put their effort, dedication, discipline and emotion into a robotics project, in which they have had the advice of their teachers and the experience of archaeologist Sergio Chávez, who had already resorted to the use of robots. Tlaloque to explore the tunnel under the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, in the archaeological zone of Teotihuacan.

“This type of project has a direct impact on our students because it is an inspiration and a goal to follow for everyone; they are enthusiastic and many more students want to participate, because it gives dynamism, pride and identity to Torres Quintero Secondary School,” said director Gonzalo Óscar Tesillo de la Cruz in the documentary From Teotihuacan to Australia: Archeology and roboticsavailable on the Relatando Historias YouTube channel.

No funds to go to Sydney

Even without raising the funds for the trip of the InvestigaTorres Club to Australia, the documentary describes how they won the national competition, the development of their innovation project, as well as the meticulous creation of the robot, observing needs and addressing problems that exist in the subsoil for archaeological exploration; in addition to considering the risks and dangers that archaeologists, researchers or workers face underground.

The audiovisual highlights the experience of Gómez Chávez and how the students obtained advice for their robotics project. “The problems we had in the tunnel under the Temple of Quetzalcóatl were having good images and lighting, as well as the possibility of detecting some gas that exists in underground places such as radon,” the archaeologist explained to the young researchers.

Likewise, he suggested improving “the traction system to make it more efficient because sometimes our Tlaloque could not overcome the obstacles, which was later refined in the second prototype that was used in the exploration of the tunnel” a few years ago.

Now the robot Affectionone of the students proudly explains, “it consists of three parts: the camera, the main operation and the movement.” It integrates with radon sensors and oxygen meters to calculate the gases in square centimeters around the exploration area; in addition to chains in the shape of an inverted trapezoid so that it does not get stuck when it has to go through narrow terrain or over a stone.

Regarding the advice to InvestigaTorres, Sergio Gómez commented: “ever since the students approached me to have information about the use we made of robots in archaeological exploration, I tried to support them and propose ideas so that they could develop their prototype. After discussing the suggestions with them, they presented me with their robot, which exceeded my expectations.

“Beyond the robot they developed and the prize they won to represent Mexico in the final phase in Australia, I feel satisfied to have generated interest in science and technology. To save this country, which is getting out of hand due to so much violence, we need to promote reading, interest in scientific research and collaborative work.”

The advisors of the InvestigaTorres Club are teachers Aldo Manuel García Muñoz, Jorge Lozano Godínez, Jenny and Marlen Rodríguez Rodríguez, as well as doctors Jonathan David Escobar Cárdenas and César Edgardo Kantun Tamayo,

The club students who hope to raise the resources for the competition in Australia are Zoe Patiño, Camila J. Díaz, Ximena R. Ávalos, Daniela L. Decaro, Karla M. Sánchez, Yessica Luna, Lea Paulette Laguna, Santiago Márquez, Erick Lemus, Santiago Martínez, Ixchel Estrada, Paola Martínez, Alexa Ángeles, Emilia García, Cristopher Castillo, Marjorie Sayuri Escarcia, Dayani Cisneros and Jonathan Castellanos.