Museum Hosts Inaugural Robotics Challenge


The Triple R Kids celebrate their robot's success in retrieving all four tires.
Middle school students from across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas converged on the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center on Saturday for The National WWII Museum’s inaugural Robotics Challenge. Working together over a period of four months, teams designed, built and programmed an autonomous robot using the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® robotics platform.
Presented with Home Front-related challenges, the teams scored points on the WWII-themed playing field by completing missions like scrapping metal by placing a tin can in a collection bin, collecting crops from a Victory Garden by moving plastic vegetables and building equipment for the war effort by placing the turret on a Sherman tank model. In addition to building a robot, each team devised a modern conservation public relations campaign based on the scrapping efforts on the Home Front during WWII. Teams created a contemporary propaganda poster, a commercial and a press release to describe their campaign.
The Grand Champion Award was presented to the team who embodied the spirit of innovation and teamwork by excelling in both the Robot Mission and Project. To be eligible for the Grand Champion Award, teams must score in the top 25% for robot performance. One team was selected for the Robot Design Award for utilizing outstanding engineering design and a well-planned strategy to produce an efficient, effective and reliable robot. Robot Performance Awards were presented to the teams scoring the most points during the robot missions. Teams competed in two matches and their highest score was considered. Project Awards were presented to teams who created an engaging, effective and exciting public relations campaign about a contemporary conservation issue.
Read a local news article about the Robotics Challenge.
Images from the Challenge
- The Triple R Kids celebrate their robot's success in retrieving all four tires.
- The BotGurlz team, composed of Girls Scouts from Southeast Louisiana, get ready for the robot match to begin.
- The Ecobots prepare their robot for action.
- Team USMC-R captured third place for their project, "Grease to Green."
- The Triple-R Kids won third place for robot performance.
- The second place project award goes to the Robo-Bombers for their "We Can Grow It" campaign.
- The Digital Crusaders earned second place for robot performance.
- Team Sumo is awarded second place for Robot Performance. Team members located in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi used Skype to work together to build a winning robot.
- The Legonators captured first place for their project, "Get Up, America! Grow a Potato, Don't Be One!"
- Faith Christian Academy captures first place for robot performance.
- The MBS Pelibot Bombers won the Robot Design Award.
- The Warrior Robots, Grand Champions of the Robotics Challenge.
Award Winners
Grand Champion
Warrior Robots from St. Theresa School in Gonzales, LA
Robot Design
MBS Pelibot Bombers from Most Blessed Sacrament School in Baton Rouge, LA
1st Robot Performance
Faith Christian Robotics from Faith Christian Academy in Alexander City, AL
1st Place Project
The Legonators from Radney Elementary in Alexander City, AL
2nd Place Robot Performance (tie)
Team Sumo from Braxton, MS, Lake Charles, LA, and Orange, TX
The Digital Crusaders from St. Matthew the Apostle in River Ridge, LA
2nd Place Project
The Robo-Bombers from Judice Middle School in Duson, LA
3rd Place Robot Performance
The Triple R Kids from Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School in Baton Rouge, LA
3rd Place Project
USMC-R from St. Philip Neri School in Metairie, LA
Post by Annie Tête, STEM Education Coordinator

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