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Students receive research award at LEGO competition

On Saturday, a team of 10 students, from Years 7-10 took part in the regional heats of the FIRST LEGO League competition in Market Deeping.

On Saturday, a team of 10 students, from Years 7-10 took part in the regional heats of the FIRST LEGO League competition in Market Deeping.

The competition theme ‘Into Orbit’ required students to demonstrate engineering skills by building and programming a LEGO robot. The robot was then used to complete various missions on a play table in order to gain points. Team KSA completed three missions early on and then quickly learnt how to programme their robot to complete the fourth. Consequently the team scored the highest number of points a team from KSA has ever achieved in the competition.

 

Throughout the day, the team were also judged on core values including participation, investigation, problem solving, co-operation and teamwork as well as a research project. For the project, the team had to research a problem based on long term space travel for humans and come up with an innovative solution which they had to present in front of a variety of judging panels and other teams. Team KSA came up with a design for an irrigation and germination system for growing food plants on long space journeys and at the destination. After researching current growing systems used, the team started to build prototypes out of cardboard and rockwool. After modifying the prototype several times, the boys designed and built a growing container using a 3D printer and fine tubing. The team impressed the judges with their idea and were awarded the trophy for ‘Best Project Research.’

Science teacher Louise Oliver said:  ‘I’m incredibly proud of all the students and all the hard work they have put in. Two students in particular, Maciej S and Sean D, gave up hours of their own time after school, over a period of two months, researching detailed background information about the growing systems currently being used. The judges were incredibly impressed with the team’s work and their ability to answer so difficult questions related to using the system in actual space travel. I am delighted that all their hard work paid off and they were award ‘Best Research Project’.

Student Harry L said: ‘One of the best things about the day wad having the chance to re-programme our robot and get involved in the different rounds of the competition so we could continue to improve our score.’

Student Jack M said: ‘I really enjoyed meeting and interviewing the other teams about their robot designs and projects. This was a new feature this year and we were really able to learn a lot from each other.’