WHS Robotics Takes Ultimate Prize at LEGOLAND® Robotics Tournament

Carlsbad, CA (PRWEB) December 10, 2004

The Director's Award is the highest honor for any FLL team. Teams considered for the Director's Award are those that perform well across the board in all the major award categories - Robot Design, Robot Performance Score, Research Presentation and Teamwork. In addition, the Director's Award measures how the children inspire and motivate others about the accessibility, excitement and wonders of science, technology and engineering while demonstrating respect, encouragement and continued gracious professionalism.

In this year's contest, FLL teams found ways to help people with different levels of physical ability, by designing and building a robot to accomplish given tasks. The robot is constructed with a LEGO® RCX computer brain at its center, using autonomous programming. The Whitney team used rotation sensors, touch sensors and light sensors, with various specialized attachments, to skillfully navigate the playing field.

The 2004 FLL research challenge was to examine seemingly simple tasks in a new light and explore how technology and human thought can work together to create equal access for all people. For their research presentation, the children designed a system to keep shopping carts from blocking handicapped spaces and walkways in local shopping malls. They built a shopping cart prototype from LEGOs to demonstrate their design. The Schmall Schmoe's innovative robot design and quality of research were chosen by both technical judges and research judges to earn them the coveted Director’s Award.

Congratulations to Team 26 who will serve as a valued role model for FIRST and the FIRST LEGO League Program.

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