Once again this year, North Bay students who formed the team "Under Pressure" won the champion's award at Science North's 3rd annual FIRST LEGO® League Tournament held Saturday.
The top award means the energetic group will advance to the provincial tournament Dec. 8 in Oakville. The "rising star" award was won by the team "Les Robots Atomiques" from Noelville, who will also move on to the Ontario competition.
Numerous youngsters, who range in age from nine to 14, took part in the competition that revolves around making Lego robots that complete many tasks. The contest took place in the Science North Inco Cavern all day Saturday. The youth used their imagination and called on adult mentors to deal with real-world engineering challenges.
Science North annually hosts this regional tournament in conjunction with the FIRST LEGO League's worldwide compeition. Participants designed, built and programmed robots using LEGO MINDSTORM technology, a line of LEGO sets that combine programmable bricks with electric motors, sensors, LEGO bricks, and LEGO Technic pieces (such as gears, axles, beams, and pneumatic parts) to build robots and other automated or interactive systems.
During the competition youngsters also learned teamwork skills and researched challenges facing today's scientists.
The theme for this year's competition was Power Puzzle: Alternative Energy Resources and Meeting the Global Demand. Participants looked at how personal energy choices (such as heating homes, fueling cars, charging cell phones, powering computers, or even downloading music to iPods) impact the environment, economy, and life around the globe. The youth explored how energy production and consumption choices affect the planet and the quality of life today and tomorrow.
FIRST LEGO League is a partnership between FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, a not-for-profit public charity) and the LEGO® Company, and inspires future scientists and engineers. Participation in these events has students facing real world engineering challenges, discovering career possibilities and learning to make positive contributions to society.
