Saturday, our mentor Tom H and I volunteered at the official Lego League Rumble for the FIRST Lego League at Summit Lakes Middle School. Here’s a little info about the FLL:
“Each year FLL teams embark on an adventurous Challenge based on current, real-world issues. Guided by a team coach and assisted by mentors, the kids:

• Research and solve a real-world problem based on the Challenge theme
• Present their research and solutions
• Build an autonomous robot using engineering concepts”
  
  The Lego League is for kids aged 9-14, versus the FIRST Robotics Challenge for high schoolers. Tom judged a practice technical awards, giving teams input on how to succeed at the official FLL competition in Liberty in December. I refereed a field that looked like this:
  Each team had 2 people at the table who interchanged with other members who programmed their little robots to complete ‘mission’s such as opening a window, delivering laptops to research areas, insulating houses, etc. It was SO much fun! (I had a real ref shirt that the ref’s wear at the FIRST competitions )  To learn more about the FLL, click  HERE! We are both going to be volunteering at the Lego League challenge in December, and I can’t wait!

  Also on Saturday,Team Driven’s Junior Robotics League had it’s conclusion with its competition. 17 teams composed of a couple elementary-9th graders competed after building a vex robot in 6 weeks. For more information on the Jr. Robotics League, click HERE!

We had members of our team, including new members, along with our robot at the Mason Elementary Carnival yesterday. If you didn’t see us, we were between a clown and moon bounce. After a few successful shoots, the launcher started to overdrive, so let’s hope it was due to the low battery and low air pressure! A few more pictures will be coming soon. Thank you for everyone who stopped by, along with the team members who came.

We were excited.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTePEmhGfbk
Click here to watch!

To view 200+ pictures from the CowTown ThrowDown this Friday and Saturday at Cerner Headquarters, view this album.

This weekend, we were honored to participate in the first ever KC off-season event. We were also lucky to have many volunteers and people in the planning committee. Friday, pits were set up and practice matches started quickly. We had all new drivers for the competition, using Shane and Cameron who had been practicing the past weeks.

In this picture, Cameron and Shane are excited that the robot didn’t stay turned on, and we just sat in the end zone the entire practice match. Woo! (It was the battery)

Team 1987 also got to play on an alliance with their sister school, Team 1986 (Team Titanium from West).

Everyone had fun… it was pretty hilarious seeing the Mammoth not in a serious competitive setting.

Here’s our fellow LS school, Team Driven, playing with their slightly bent arm, which was fixed afterward. Team Driven also utilized different drivers than those from the regionals attended this year.

Don’t you just love the Overdrive field? We had some helpers set up the field Friday (Mr. R, Tom H)

Our two Team Driven friends, Ben B and John C, were emcees on Saturday!! Along with a new Cerner friend. (Pictured is also Lisa K, our new KC Regional Director!)

It was a packed house! Including a team all the way from Arkansas, team 16.

How great are these plaques? Thank you to our very own Rex from R&D for the engraving, and Dennis H for the making and staining, along with Tom H for the help along the way.

Logan is really excited.

Ben introducing the blue alliance.

Woohoo!

Awesome robot design

Rock on.

This picture is so awesome.

Paola, 1108.

We’ve never played with TD, it was fun!

Yay 1730 volunteers!

We love Christine!

Two Rolla students and an engineer

John and Josh introducing teams

Red alliance

The emcees did great!

Awards ceremony. This regional was different than the season regionals; the teams voted on who should win the 5 peer-judged awards.

High five line.

Team Driven’s new organizer

Nice job CTTD competition winners!

Excited with the plaque

THE BRONCOBOTS EXTEND A HUGE THANK YOU TO CERNER, LINDSEY P, AND TEAM DRIVEN FOR PUTTING ON AN OUTSTANDING INAGURAL COWTOWN THROWDOWN. IN ADDITION, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO HELP AND COMPETE. 

To view 200+ pictures from the CowTown ThrowDown this Friday and Saturday at Cerner Headquarters, view this album.