The Robotics team from Loreto Convent School participated in the First Lego League’s (FLL) International competition in London this weekend. The team named Loretanics comprised of nine Year six pupils, six of whom represented the team in the UK.
The pupils arrived at The Institute for Engineering and Technology, where they set their basecamp for the day. The welcome briefing commenced, then it was time to put on the game face and get down to business. The team had the opportunity to experience a judged practice match for the robot element, the intensity of a real match and then recode anything that needed tweaking before their scored matches.
Loretanics were called to the presentation room where they would present their Innovation project to a panel of judges. The project was based on this year’s challenge theme ‘submerged’. As part of the teams’ work during their lunchtime club they created their presentation. In September, the team decided to take a twist and a risk, turning the theme inside out, or upside down, literally!
Rather than going underwater and being submerged the team decided to look at how the Rock of Gibraltar was formed by the land around becoming submerged and thus forming the Mediterranean Sea. As part of this the team spoke about key points through history, especially Neanderthal Man, along with the Sieges and battles over the Rock. Constructed entirely from Lego, the team presented the judges with a model of Gibraltar showing how the land became flooded with water. They highlighted the distance between continents which led onto the second part of the presentation based on the team’s innovation project.
Still on the theme for the challenge, the team spoke about how they would build a submerged, underwater, highspeed train tunnel to link the continents. The team presented a model which showed the tunnel’s creative design using a series of tubes with protective and buoyant materials around them. The tubes were made from special water reactive material so that if a leak appeared, the material would react sealing the hole. Although the tunnel was buoyant and could float, it was also attached to several giant floating solar powered fields which gave the tunnel renewable power and many escape pods in case of an emergency. The team were asked numerous questions about their project, which they answered with confidence and passion. After 30 minutes, the team emerged happy, with beaming smiles and high fives all around.
The creative challenge this year was based around the submerged theme, and teams had 3 hours to build an object from Lego. They started straight away, visiting a massive Lego pit with every Lego piece imaginable on offer. The team discussed their ideas and during the morning created their masterpiece to be judged.
Three judged robot matches were attended by the team throughout the day. At school the pupils were able to work out how to complete the challenges, making accessories for the robot out of Lego and coding using the Spike blocks program. The team worked well collaborating on the challenges, incorporating the First Lego Leagues’ core values. The team gained 60 points in their first round, 105 points in their second round, and 50 points in their third round. Overall, 215 points obtained in just three rounds of 2 ½ minutes, intense pressure which they coped with well. The winning team scored 500 points and were regional champions last year!
There were five trophies available to win. One team had won two of the trophies, with only three remaining would Loretanics be in with a chance? The penultimate trophy was for the judged Innovation Project and much to their teacher’s surprise their name was announced and displayed on the big screen. Winners, the team were presented with individual medals along with a big Lego trophy, well done.
The trip was a massive success with the team being a credit, not only to the school but representing Gibraltar at this international competition.
Mr Devincenzi-Clemens, Senior Teacher for Computing at Loreto Convent School was amazed at how professional team members were throughout the challenge day. The teams are assessed throughout the day on the FLL core values. From the start they cooperated with other teams, one required some extra Lego parts as an emergency, to which Loretanics had with them and passed on. Upon returning the parts they gave Loretanics a thankyou note.
“It has been very busy since September and the Loreto pupils, Advay, Bella, Bill, Krish, Jesus and Uri have done extremely well, last year the team won a small trophy for being the best team displaying the core values in troubling times, this year we have a bigger trophy to display at school. I would like to thank our sponsor Julian from FOSSA Satellite IOT for sponsoring Team Loretanics this year. Remember, teamwork makes the dreamwork!” I would also like to thank Mr McCauliffe and Miss Lucidi from Prior Park School for their support in the Lego Robotics journey.
Mrs Napoli, Headteacher commented “It is wonderful that we give the pupils at Loreto the opportunity to learn, participate in and enjoy current and emerging new educational experiences. The pupils thoroughly enjoy the coding and Robtics opportunities that we offer.”
What the team thought about the trip.
“What I thought about the competition is that you make good friendships. It was really exciting and very good as I gained in confidence”
Bella.
“The trip was amazing, I had lots of fun exploring London. I am really happy about the trophy that we won, and I think we really deserved it. The robotics competition was absolutely brilliant because we worked as a team! One of my favourite bits was after the day we would play video games and watch movies together”
Uri.
Written by Mr Devincenzi-Clemens
Senior Teacher for Computing at Loreto Convent School