The local young tinkerers are back at it again this year, with two local FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League teams showing off their autonomous robots and innovation projects at a practice tournament last weekend.
The St. Clements Wild Goats and the Elmira Space Chickens, along with several other teams, honed their presentation skills at EDSS on Saturday to prepare for their official competition in Waterloo on November 30. This years theme is City Shaper.
Among the highlights of the event included autonomous robots completely constructed by Lego Mindstorm technology. Teams must program their robot to complete as many tasks as possible within a certain timeframe to win points.
The Wild Goats found some of their missions worked smoothly, and others did not, said team coach Jason Jantzi. They were able to get their robot to successfully stop on the bridge at the end of the match for additional points.
Team members Tyler MacDonald, Hudson Jantzi, Connor Jantzi, Kayia MacDonald, Brooklyn Alpaugh, Connor Cheng, Tanner Cheng, and Beth Alphaugh met weekly for the past couple of months to ensure that their robot, Billy the Goat, was in top shape.
Our robot did pretty well. We had a few issues with the predictability of it because the board we were practicing on was a bit worn, said Beth Alpaugh.
I think were going to try to use more sensors to make our sensors more predictable, so then we wont have these kinds of issues.
Another component of the days activities was sharing the results of their innovation projects. Each team is challenged to find a solution to a real-world problem that affects their community. Examples of topics include food safety, recycling, and energy. These findings are then presented to the judges.
We went to the Waterloo Region recycling centre, said Alpaugh. We found that there is an issue of people putting their recycling in the garbage or their garbage in the recycling. And also that there werent any recycling bins in our local parks at all.
Recycled items cant be shipped away to be reused if they are contaminated. To combat this problem of improper recycling practices, the Wild Goats shared their idea of a Smart Sorter, which uses artificial intelligence to sort between garbage and recycling.
Once an item is placed in the waste container, the smart sorter would use a camera to determine if it is garbage or recycling, and that tells the Arduino microcontroller, which will then use motors to move the item to the correct container. It would ideally be installed in parks, ball diamonds, and other public spaces.
All of The Wild Goats team members from last year returned for the second year of FLL since they had such a successful and fun time learning and participating from the first season, said Jantzi. As a coach, I could really see the kids develop and learn new skills which hopefully they can continue to develop and apply to other areas.
The LEGO League also nurtures teambuilding core values and looks at how these values can be applied to everyday life, including discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, and teamwork.
Wild Goats team member Hudson Jantzi added that participating in FLL has also been a bonding experience, as the same group members also got together for the 2018 FIRST Lego League event.
Its really helped us get to know each other better and were definitely more comfortable with one another, said Hudson.
The team noted that the community had been particularly supportive of their endeavours this year.
Last year we only had one sponsor but this year we have plenty. We got sponsors by going door to door in St. Clements and just asking companies if they would sponsor us and we did really good, said Alpaugh.
The official competition will take place at St. David Catholic Secondary School in Waterloo this Saturday. Three local teams will be attending: the Elmira Space Chickens, St. Clements Wild Goats, and the St. Jacobs Super Stingers.
The rest is here:
Young competitors use robotics to help shape the city of the future - ObserverXtra
- Robotics - Gizmag [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- Download Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 4 from ... [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2016]
- Robotics News & Articles - IEEE Spectrum [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- Robotics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- Robotics News & Articles - IEEE Spectrum [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- RIA - Robotics Online - Industrial Robot Automation [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- Three Laws of Robotics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 25th, 2016]
- Robotics [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2016]
- Houston Robotics [Last Updated On: August 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 12th, 2016]
- Home - Illinois Tech Robotics [Last Updated On: August 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 27th, 2016]
- Robotics - Wikibooks, open books for an open world [Last Updated On: September 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 8th, 2016]
- JPL Robotics: Home Page [Last Updated On: September 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 8th, 2016]
- ABB Robotics [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2016]
- Softbank Robotics | Humanoid robotics & programmable robots [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2016]
- Robotics - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2016]
- STEM Robotics 101 NXT | STEMRobotics [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Industrial Electronics and Robotics Technician [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Future of Robotics|Robots of the Future|Robot Links [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Industrial Robotics Training | School of Technology [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Robotics | An Open Access Journal from MDPI [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Robotics Technician & Automation Training - Online Course in ... [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Rich Hooper, PhD, PE: Robotics Engineer [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Robotics Toolbox - PeterCorke.com [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- ROBOTC | Robotics Academy [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- How have robots changed manufacturing? | HowStuffWorks [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Professional Development | Robotics Academy [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Robotics Academy [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2016]
- KUKA Robotics | KUKA AG [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2016]
- Robotics Engineer - Science Buddies [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2016]
- Robotics - reddit [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2017]
- Preorder Snap Flying Camera | Vantage Robotics [Last Updated On: January 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 25th, 2017]
- Robotics - The Great Courses [Last Updated On: January 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 25th, 2017]
- Belding hosts largest robotics competition in history of event - Greenville Daily News [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Robohub Digest 01/17: New year, new perspectives and forecasts for the year ahead in AI, machine learning and ... - Robohub [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Robotics-focused ETFs see big gains, Trump could hasten trend - MarketWatch [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Robotics competition events help teens express creativity - Monroe Evening News [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- First Tech Challenge: High schools battle in robotics competition - The Journal News | LoHud.com [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Gemini school robotics team wins in 'FIRST' competition - Chicago Tribune [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- TMRIES to impart robotics education - The Hindu - The Hindu [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Meridian robotics team gears up for Idaho FRC Regional - KBOI-TV [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- South High wins Volvo's robotics tournament - Herald-Mail Media [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Local robotics students headed to World Championship tournament - KOLO [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Oxford Hills robotics club to compete in North American championship - Lewiston Sun Journal [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Panther engineering and robotics team paves pathways to innovation - Clay County Free Press.com (subscription) [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Shopping robots on the march in Ocado - BBC News [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- OHS robotics club dazzles McKinley students - Southernminn.com [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Toyota Industries Acquires Warehouse Robotics Developer - WSJ - Wall Street Journal [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Rehab robotics field promises to return control, mobility to aging population - Arizona State University [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Mount Paran Christian School Robotics Team has engineered their way to State Competition - MDJOnline.com [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- 33C3: Edible Soft Robotics - Hackaday [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Keller students Starstruck on robotics - Fort Worth Star Telegram [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- WPI Robotics Team Has a Mission with Mars | News | WPI - WPI News [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Rethink's Robots Get Massive Software Upgrade, Rodney Brooks So Excited - IEEE Spectrum [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Front Porch: Vision Charter robotics teams perform well at state - Idaho Press-Tribune [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Raspberry Pi-powered arm: This kit aims to make robotics simple ... - TechRepublic [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Roam Robotics' lightweight, inexpensive exoskeleton for the masses - New Atlas [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Rehab robotics field promises to return control, mobility to aging population - ScienceBlog.com (blog) [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Rethink Robotics rethinks its software | ZDNet - ZDNet [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Home-schooled students studying robotics - Valencia County News Bulletin [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Botetourt 4-H Phoenix Robotics team sets sights on success - Roanoke Times [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Hartland robotics teams take on the FIRST Tech challenge at state competition - Lake Country Now [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- iFuture Robotics cuts manpower needs of warehouses with its mobile robots - YourStory.com [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Crescent Valley robotics focused on developing freshmen - Corvallis Gazette Times [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- CyPhy, Mitsubishi, and Soft Robotics Join Robo Madness on March 28 - Xconomy [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Agility Robotics Introduces Cassie, a Dynamic and Talented Robot ... - IEEE Spectrum [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- FIRST Robotics Competition - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Raptor legs & human hips: Giant leap for walking robots - RT [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Patriot Robotics Alliance upsets Brentwood Academy Alliances - Clarksville Now [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- South Beach robotics squad advances to super regionals - The Daily World [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- How drones and robotics may shape the future of conflict under President Trump - PRI [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Personal robotics the next technological revolution: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan - Channel NewsAsia [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Ford Bets $1B on Startup Founded by Waymo, Uber Vets - ABC News [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Woodall robotics team competes in Broken Arrow - Muskogee Daily Phoenix [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Students Compete in LEGO Robotics Design Contest in Brooklyn - NY1 [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Essex County Freeholders Honor Livingston Robotics Club Teams - TAPinto.net [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Robotics event offers lesson in teamwork - Lewiston Morning Tribune (subscription) [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Face off: Marion students compete in robotics competition - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration) [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Freshman Caldwell team takes first place in Regional Robotics Tournament - Idaho Press-Tribune [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Ford Motor bets $1 billion on robotics startup - Toledo Blade [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Alice Shaw robotics team building invention to save wolves | Local ... - Lompoc Record [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]