12/20/2006 Dr. Susan A. Linnemyer
On December 15 and 16, 2006, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hosted its fourth Annual FIRST LEGO? Robotics Regional Competition at Urbana Middle School. More than 200 young competitors participated in one of the state's largest regionals.
Written by Dr. Susan A. Linnemyer
URBANA, IL—On December 15 and 16, 2006, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hosted its fourth Annual FIRST LEGO® Robotics Regional Competition at Urbana Middle School. More than 200 young competitors participated in one of the state’s largest regionals.
Twenty-two teams competed and the top eight advanced to the state tournament in Arlington Heights, IL, to be held on January 12 and 13, 2007. The top eight teams were:
1st place, Team Zeolites from Dr. Howard Elementary School in Champaign
2nd place, Team N.S.E.F. (Nano-Sized Equilateral Fishes) from Next Generation School in Champaign
3rd place, Team Tigerbots from Urbana Middle School
4th place, Team Lego Surgeons from Dr. Howard Elementary School in Champaign
5th place, Team NanoCrew from Next Generation School in Champaign
6th place, Team Nanotech Engineers from Booker T. Washington in Champaign
7th place, Team ABC Kids from Lincoln Trail Elementary School in Mahomet
8th place, Team U.N.I.T.S. from Urbana Middle School
Alternate Team, JLR Jaguars from Jefferson Middle School in Champaign
Six additional awards were given to teams:
Performance: The Performance Award was presented to the team whose robot achieved the best total score on the competition field, showing that they were able to consistently perform well. B.T.W. Nanotech Engineers from Washington Elementary School in Champaign was the winner in this category.
Research: The Research Presentation Award was presented to the team whose quality research, innovative solutions and creative presentation best reflected an in-depth understanding of the various scientific disciplines and issues involved with the Challenge Research Assignment. Team Electric Serpentstorm Mayhem from Next Generation School in Champaign was the winner in this category.Technical Design: A winning design is predicated on three distinct elements, innovative design, robust design and programming elements, which in conjunction with one another, make a robot and its team of designers, programmers and builders stand out. The Technical Design Award went to Team Tigerbots from Urbana Middle School.
Teamwork: This award was presented to the team that best demonstrated extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, exceptional partnership, the utmost respect to their own teammates, and support and encouragement of fellow teams. Team U.N.I.T.S. from Urbana Middle School received first place in this category.
Spirit: The Spirit Award was presented to the team that showed the most enthusiasm throughout the day. Strato Strands/Nano Detectives from Stratton Elementary School in Champaign captured first place in this division.
Judges Award: This award was given to a team while not receiving any of the five preceding awards deserved special commendation according to the judges. The Judges Award went to the Zeolites Team from Dr. Howard Elementary School in Champaign.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international organization whose goal is to inspire interest in science and engineering among young people. In this year’s competition, more than 60,000 youth from the United States and around the world participated.
This year’s Lego League Challenge theme was “Nano Quest.” To meet the 2006 Challenge, students used creative thinking and robotics technology to invent solutions to some of the problems encountered in nanotechnology. Successful completion required participants to build and program a robot that provides precise manipulation of other Lego pieces. Challenge missions covered topics such as smart medicine, molecular self-assembly, and stain-resistant fabrics.
Cali Hobgood from Urbana served as the co-coordinator of the event and about 35 University of Illinois’ students served as coaches or assistant coaches for the competing teams, with other volunteers assisting with registration and tournament management. Caterpillar, Shell Oil Company, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the College of Engineering were the sponsors of the University of Illinois regional. In addition, Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet, and Next Generation Schools provided support for their teams throughout the Lego Robotics season.
For information on participating next fall in the competition, contact Dr. Susan A. Linnemyer, director of the Office of Special Programs, at (217) 244-1816 or coe-outreach@illinois.edu.