EWU holds inaugural LEGO robotics competition

By JOHN McCALLUM

Editor

Eastern Washington University's Computing and Engineering Building rang last Saturday, Dec. 6, with the sounds of something not normally associated with a college academic facility – cheering.

Cheering resonating from kids and parents taking part in the first annual FIRSTLEGO League robotics competition. The competition is one of the programs the university is sponsoring as part of its Project STEaM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Match), an effort to lead the way in facilitating programs and providing infrastructure to support the sciences.

The robotics competition was created through a collaboration between the non-profit organization FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology – and the toy manufacturer LEGO Group. The Manchester, N.H. based FIRST was founded in 1989 to “inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology,” according to the organization's website.

FIRSTLEGO League was created in 1998 and has since expanded to include annual participation of over 135,000 kids in 45 countries around the world. The competition challenges kids ages 9-14 to utilize research, engineering and problem solving skills in a competition that features a theme centered on a worldwide problem.

Once the theme is revealed, schools signed up to compete in FIRSTLEGO League order robot kits made from LEGO technology for the competition, Discovery School team coach Lorna Kropp said.

Eastern Vice President of Advancement Michael Westfall, STEaM coordinator, said the competition features three events: robot design, theme presentation and the competition. This year's theme was the impact of climate change.

Teams earned points based upon how well they did in each event, but the main feature last Saturday was the robot competition. Two teams competed side-by-side on two fields of painted quarter-inch plywood, 96 inches by 48 inches, with two-by-four barriers, and specially painted and labeled areas where specific tasks had to be accomplished.

Teams had to program their robots to complete tasks such as constructing levees, insulating houses, setting up ice core drilling machines, or gathering carbon nodules. Teams had two-and-a-half minutes to complete as many tasks as their robots could, with the scoring occurring over three rounds. Teams consisted of anywhere between three to 10 kids, but only two members could be at the table with their robots during the rounds.

As the teams competed, spectators hovered over balcony rails in the Computing and Engineering Building watching and cheering their kids. Those who couldn't get a balcony seat could watch on a closed circuit TV system.

On the lobby floor below, team members, coaches and officials stood watching, scoring and encouraging the robots on. Teams met with various levels of success or failure, such as the members of team Xtreme from Wenatchee, whose robot accomplished some tasks in round one, but didn't get any points because the work-arm assembly came off the body.

Xtreme member Gabe Stefanides took the setback in stride.

“We're kind of hoping to score big on the project (event), sort of an out of the ashes thing,” he said as he and fellow team members Christian Williams and Tristan Cunderla huddled around their robot and a laptop in a nearby classroom.

Westfall said the competition went well for the first time. There were a few things that need tweaking, but overall the university is excited to hold the second annual regional event in 2009.

“It was a great inaugural event,” Westfall said. “I think it's an event that will continue to grow.”

Six teams advanced out of regionals to the coming state competition in Bellevue, with the top six from there moving to international competition. At Eastern on Saturday, it was the Tech Dudes from Discovery School taking top honors.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected]