It was a sunny, mildly warm Saturday on the outside, but inside High School North, a cafeteria full of grade school students were dealing with tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes.
By Charley Falkenburg, Special to the Packet
PLAINSBORO – It was a sunny, mildly warm Saturday on the outside, but inside High School North, a cafeteria full of grade school students were dealing with tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes.
And they were doing it in the form of their robots.
The high school’s cafeteria was crammed Saturday morning with students in grades 4 through 8 from the West Windsor-Plainsboro school community, who were practicing for the 2013 FIRST Lego League (FLL) tournament. Each year, LEGO leagues are tasked with building and programming robots made out of LEGOs, which must solve a particular challenge.
This year’s challenge is dubbed “Nature’s Fury” and the students had to build a robot that could aptly prepare for and efficiently respond to landslides, tsunamis, wildfires and other natural disasters that occur when Nature takes a turn for the more deadly.
That morning, nine teams made up of no more than 10 students milled about the cafeteria. Some were tapping away on laptops, fiddling with the programming software. Others were snapping on last minute LEGO pieces and many were testing out their robots on tables-turned-obstacle course.
”This gets the kids involved with science, technology and teamwork and it starts them early and gets them when science and learning are still a wonder,” said Dr. Ruth Kamen, a mentor and adviser for the FLL teams. “When they see what they created can work.”
Right alongside the teams were several mentors from the MidKnight Inventors, the community’s FIRST Robotics Competition Team (FRC). The MidKnight Inventors, made up of teens from both High School North and South, had been around the block a couple of times and were there to coach along the younger kids.
At one table, Alex Ma, 13, of Plainsboro, was helping out the Automaton White team. He explained that one of the things the team’s robot was supposed to do was lift a house.
”It’s difficult; there’s a lot of logic and thinking,” said Alex. “But I like the feel of the competition and the energy in the room.”
Near the middle of the room, Michael Foley, 16, a junior at High School North was mentoring his team through a few practice runs with their robot. The group leaned in as the robot moved from base to base, transferring supply trucks and moving ambulances. The kids cheered as the robot ended the course – a result of working diligently on the project for the last six weeks.
For Michael, being a mentor was just as rewarding as competing on his own team.
”My favorite part has been getting to pass on what I learned so hopefully they can do the same,” the West Windsor teen said. “I am impressed by what they’ve accomplished.”
All nine teams will be competing in the preliminary FIRST LEGO League tournament at Steinert High School in Hamilton. The competition is expected to have 24 teams from New Jersey. The teams will be competing all day on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.