News release

Great young minds coming to Oshawa as UOIT hosts the FIRST ® LEGO® League provincial robotics championships

January 11, 2012

Youth from across Ontario will explore ways to keep the food we eat safe

The best young robotic-inspired minds in Ontario are coming to Oshawa January 14 as the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) plays host to the annual FIRST LEGO League (FLL) provincial championships. FIRST is an acronym that means For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

Nearly 600 students (aged nine to 14), over 1,000 parents, siblings and coaches, and 200 volunteers, judges, and referees will be on hand for the FLL competition, which encourages students to apply math and science concepts to research, design, build and program autonomous robots using Lego Mindstorms software.

Despite the young age of the participants, the competition is designed to have teams delve into real-world scientific issues, with this year’s challenge focused on Food Safety. Competitors will discover and explore innovative ways to solve and/or avoid food-related contamination issues with the intended purpose of helping everyone lead happier and healthier lives. Robotic missions include such challenges as setting a timer and thermometer to cook food properly, washing bacteria down a sink, and clearing pollution out of our food processing.

Teams earned their spots at the championship after taking part in practice tournaments and then one of 16 regional qualifying events from across the province. Once at UOIT, they will be judged in three categories:

• Robot design – how well a team demonstrates its understanding of robot design through building, programming, strategy and performance;
• Core values – how well a team demonstrates the integration of FLL core values in all aspects of the FLL experience; and
• Project – how well a team demonstrates its solution for a real-world problem and the research behind its solution.

Because FLL in Ontario has become so popular, a second Provincial Championship has been created to accommodate all the teams. So, for the first time ever, Ontario will have an Ontario East Championship AND an Ontario West Championship, both taking place simultaneously at UOIT on January 14, 2012. It’s an event you won’t want to miss!

When:

Saturday, January 14

8 a.m. – Judging and practice matches begin

10 a.m. – Opening ceremony

10:30 a.m. – Judging resumes and first official matches begin

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Lunch

1:15 p.m. – Judging callbacks

2:15 p.m. – Official robot matches continue (Rounds 2, 3 and 4)

4:30 p.m. – Awards and closing ceremony

 

Where:

Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre gymnasiums

 

Parking:

Follow Founders Drive south from the Conlin Road stoplights and turn left at the stop sign into Founders Lot 3.

For driving directions to campus: www.uoit.ca/directions.

 

 

About UOIT

UOIT delivers a leading-edge learning environment that uniquely combines academic knowledge, research opportunities, hands-on skills and a vibrant student life. More than 8,400 undergraduate and graduate students are taught by world-class professors who are experts in their field. Ontario's first laptop-based university, UOIT offers a diverse array of challenging undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the faculties of Business and Information Technology; Education; Energy Systems and Nuclear Science; Engineering and Applied Science; Health Sciences; Science; and Social Science and Humanities. UOIT's commitment to research excellence and innovation has resulted in millions of dollars in grants and awards, including five prestigious Canada Research Chairs, with another four in development, and six industrial research chairs. To find out more, visit www.uoit.ca or call 905.721.8668.

Media Contact
Bryan Oliver
Communications and Marketing
University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)
905.721.8668 ext. 2209
bryan.oliver@uoit.ca

 

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