Lego robotics students face off to invent futuristic technology
MOORESTOWN, N.J. -- Like a child's playset, the gymnasium at Upper Elementary School was filled with Legos. But these weren't the ordinary building blocks you grew up with.
These were autonomously moving computer programmed robots.
About 250 students ages 6 through 14 came to show their creations in a First Lego League Junior Expo. These are kids who come from across southern New Jersey who have a passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM.
With months of preparatory work built in, these robots move with the press of one button. Students programmed them using coding, a form of computer language that allows robots to execute specific functions.
The goal of the competition was to demonstrate the ability to solve real-world problems on a Lego-sized scale. For example, robots needed to automatically drive forward to trip a switch that caused a Lego crane to drop an object. Another example involved pushing a handicapped Lego person on a swing. Each issue related to the theme of finding solutions for a city environment.
The Moorestown Robotics Club hopes to continue using these events as opportunities for young minds to build an interest in STEM and grow into the next generation of problem solvers!
RELATED: Student engineers take bowling to the next level
