01/28/2013
Warwick-based First Year Team Shocks, Takes Major Award at Regional Competition
Several Warwick area students, founders of Team DART, formed along with the newly developed Warwick Central Lego League, participated in the Hudson Valley Lego League Regional Tournament on Saturday, January 26th, 2013, at Sleepy Hollow High School. They took one of five coveted team achievement awards, despite competing with 11 other teams with significant Lego League and Tournament experience.
First Lego League , the worldwide parent organization, developed the Core Values Award as a way of recognizing a team that best demonstrates and displays spirit, enthusiasm, cooperative competition, gracious professionalism, respect and fun. The checklist of things required to qualify for the award is quite heady and it is widely expected that more experienced teams have the time and understanding under their belt to incorporate these values. Though smaller teams more easily focus, the young Team DART had an unwieldy ten members and rose to the challenge.
The First Lego League experience has little to do with playing with Legos. Co-inventor of the Segway, Dean Kaman, founded First Lego League in 1998 to fashion greater interest and understanding in science, math and engineering among children. Today there are more than 200,000 participants in 50 countries. The children use Lego components along with a programmable robot brain, motors and sensors, to accomplish competitive missions in robot games. They must also research and develop a solution to world class problems, this year’s focus being improving the lives of senior citizens. Team DART’s concept for improving the lives of seniors with reduced abilities harnessed a modern version of the old-style reacher. They were only obligated to discuss a solution for this tournament, yet demonstrated a working prototype with camera, display, lights and remotely controlled grip and claw, aptly named Thingamaclaw 3000, that allows users to grab things that are out of reach with improved visibility and ease.
This journey to the tournament started in August, with many interruptions of their regular weekly meetings from the likes of Super Storm Sandy and snow storms. Their dedication and team spirit drove them beyond the interruptions and core demands of their lives, culminating in their ability to participate in the tournament over the weekend. Saturday‘s event lasted from 8AM to 3PM, a long day by anyone’s experience when you add the commute and intensive preparation in previous weeks. At no time did anyone on the team show the strain from tiredness or competitive pressure. They simply did a great job representing Warwick with grace and enthusiasm while having FUN!
