ND hosting annual FIRST® LEGO® Robotics Championship tournament in Grand Forks on Saturday, Feb. 7

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

2-2-2015

Campus Unit

College of Engineering & Mines

Abstract

Thirty-eight teams comprising 9 to 14-year olds from across North Dakota and northwest Minnesota are set to arrive at the University of North Dakota on Saturday (Feb. 7) to display their science, engineering and technology skills at the ND FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) Robotics Championship tournament.

The competition, which is open to the public, is held annually at the UND Memorial Union. The robot Competition opening ceremony will take place at 11:45 a.m., and the event will continue until 3:30 p.m. Awards will be presented at 4 p.m.

The University of North Dakota and the College of Engineering and Mines host the event with the help of many UND student and community volunteers.

The FLL®WORLD CLASS℠ Challenge calls for teams of students between ages of 9-14 (9 -16 outside North America) worldwide to research and present their original tools and/or tactics that enrich the current landscapes of learning.

Teams build, test and program an autonomous robot using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® technology to solve a series of wisdom-gathering missions, include pushing a lever to open a door. The cornerstones of the experience are the FLL® Core Values, which emphasize contributions of others, friendly competition, learning and community involvement.

The FLL® competition is judged in four areas: project presentation, robot performance, technical design and programming of the robot, and FLL® Core Values. The highest honor goes to the team that best exemplifies the spirit and values of the program.

Sponsors of this year’s event include: UND’s College of Engineering and Mines, the UND Memorial Union, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Greater Grand Forks Convention and Visitors Bureau, John Deere, Otter Tail Power Company, HB Sound & Light, EAPC Architects & Engineers, Bobcat, Whalen’s Moving & Storage, North Dakota Space Grant Consortium, S&S Promotional Group, Inc., Xcel Energy, Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc., and Advanced Engineering & Environmental Services, Inc.

About FIRST®

FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. FIRST® is supported by a strong network of sponsors and volunteers. FIRST® provides the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) for students in grades 9-12 (ages 14-18), the FIRST® LEGO® League for grades 4-8 (ages 9-14) , and the Junior FIRST® LEGO League (Jr. FLL®) for grades K-3 (ages 6-9). For more information, visit www.usfirst.org.

About the LEGO® Group

The LEGO Group, a privately-held, family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high quality, creatively educational play materials for children. The company is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: "Only the best is good enough."

For more information, visit www.LEGO.com. LEGO, MINDSTORMS® and their respective logos are registered trademarks of the LEGO Group. FIRST® and its logos are registered trademarks of US FIRST.

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