Robot Rockstars Win & Advance to FIRST LEGO championship

Children ages 9 to 14 (grades 4 – 8), competed in FIRST LEGO League (FLL) November 13 at Eastlake High School.
26 teams from local schools and neighborhoods participated in the qualifying competition in hopes of being advanced to the FIRST LEGO League Southern California Championship at Legoland on December 3.

FIRST is an acronym that means “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” FIRST introduces young people to science and technology in a fun way through the local competitions. The goal at the event was to solve a real-world problem, keeping food safe, using engineering concepts, presentation techniques and robots. Teams were judged on execution as well as core values: inspiration, team work and gracious professionalism™ (encouraging high-quality work, emphasizing the value of others, and respecting individuals and the community).

Robot Rockstars won this year’s challenge. Under the direction of coach Scott Way, eight local children spent 7 months researching their project, designing their robot and developing friendships that created a framework for a winning team. Each child was required to learn all aspects of the technology, a technique that worked well for the team since one of their drivers, Simon Way, broke his
hand and the team required a last-minute substitution, Noah Glick.

The accomplished team was unprepared for the win. According to event organizer Robin Laird, it was the most difficult robot game in 10 years and Robot Rockstars were only able to manage four out of the five challenges. But their robot “Man-I-Hope-This-Works-Bot” performed the difficult challenge of navigating the food obstacle course better than their opponents. “I was very
impressed with our drivers,” said Way. The team’s design and function, incorporating among others, the “Box of Doom” attachment and the “Time Machine” attachment, proved to be successful.

Winning the LEGO obstacle course challenge did not insure yesterday’s win.  To win the team had to work together to find an original solution to prevent or combat food contamination, requiring research and development of a marketable idea. Popping out of a refrigerator spouting the tenants of HACCP, a management system in which food safety is addressed, and performing their
original song, “Don’t Eat It!” was team’s imaginative presentation technique. It was not until the team’s name was called that the children knew they had won.

“The kids really got along well and all did their part,” said Way. “FLL requires a lot from these kids. What they managed to do is nothing short of amazing.”

FLL introduces children to the fun and excitement of science and engineering using LEGOS and robots, but challenges them to problem solve, gives them self confidence and teaches them to collaborate with their peers: all valuable employment and life skills.

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Posted by Eastlaketimes on Nov 21 2011. Filed under Community of Eastlake, Eastlake News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry