Children from all corners of Brooklyn came together last weekend to compete in a day of engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks modeled after real-life technological challenges.
At the 13th annual FIRST LEGO League Brooklyn Qualifier, 42 teams gathered at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly), with more than 400 local elementary and middle school students working to advance to the next level.
The competition "introduces kids ages 9-14 to the thrill of hands-on robotics, research, teamwork and inquiry-based problem solving, in order to spark a lifelong passion for science and technology," according to a statement.
Twenty three teams advanced to the next level and were recognized for a variety of honors, including children from the neighborhood.
The Robotics Falcons from M.S. 113 in Clinton Hill placed first in programming. This award recognizes a team that utilizes outstanding programming principles, including clear, concise and reusable code that allows their robot to perform challenge missions autonomously and consistently.
Mission 11 from P.S. 11 in Fort Greene placed second overall for strategy and innovation. This award recognizes a team that uses solid engineering practices and a well-developed strategy to design and build an innovative, high performing robot.
The Fort Greene Prep Nanowolves placed first for research, being honored for their utilization of diverse resources to formulate an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the problem they have identified.
Finally, the Robo-Warriors from P.S. 270 in Fort Greene also advanced in the competition as they had the second-highest robot performance game score.
Those who placed will advance to the Citywide Championship held at the Jacob Javits Center in March.
