In 2007, Calgary’s Longhorn Robotics team ranked as high as 14th in the world in the second round of the FIRST Lego League (FLL) World Festival, which took place last April. The team, made up of coach Ron Sveen and seven ridiculously smart junior high kids, has been invited to the international competition again this year. The event takes place in Atlanta from April 17 to 19.
With robots of their own design programmed with a simplified version of the software used by the Mars Rover, teams in the competition race to complete a series of complex and meticulous tasks in two-and-a-half minutes. The best part? Both the robots and competition courses are built with Lego.
“They have to move around autonomously,” 12-year-old team member Alex Rodrigues eloquently explains. “We’re able to set them up in a base, but then they have to move around and do the tasks on their own.”
This year, the FLL has invited 84 teams from over 30 countries, made up of children aged nine to 14. Each team is required to program its robot to complete "power puzzle" tasks, such as placing miniature solar panels on a model house roof, or depositing oil barrels on a small steamboat. Alongside its tank-like Lego construction, the Longhorn robot includes a micro-controller powered by lithium-ion batteries, three motors and light sensors to help guide it from one area and task to another.
Twenty-five per cent of the competition’s final mark comes from teamwork, a category in which the Calgary kids flourish. “Every single member of the team has contributed, either through building, programming or both, as well as doing the analysis,” says Sveen. “They’ve done all of the research and created the presentation together as a group. When they come to the table, every single one of them participates.”
Sveen is optimistic about the team’s chances in the competition, but also realistic. “The best thing you can do is to be as prepared as you possibly can, and to be very focused on doing your work and your job. You can't think about winning or losing, but instead just be mentally tough.”
Rodrigues is similarly excited, but also less concerned with winning than with completing flawless runs, and about what his team has learned. “There was just one regional tournament, with around 35 teams, and we had the best runs,” says Alex. “We also had one of the better presentations. And the topic this year is saving energy. We did a home audit and came up with some innovative ideas and ways of making homes more energy efficient.
If consistency is key, the Calgary team can be confident about their chances in Atlanta. “We just started doing really good,” says Rodrigues, excitedly, “at our last class we did five perfect runs in a row.”
