Seven local teams will advance to a state championship Lego robotics competition in January.
The teams earned a place at the state tournament after winning awards at the Central Oregon Lego robotics qualifying tournament in early December.
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School’s middle school team, The Solution, won the champion’s award at the tournament. Runners up for that award were the Thunderbrains, a home-schooled group; the Blue Tic Tacs from Cascade Academy; the Firebirds, a home-schooled group; the Aqua Squad from Cascade Academy; and the CC Cyborgs from Crook County Middle School.
St. Francis’ Power Puzzlers won the young team award. The winners and runners-up for the champion’s award, along with the winners of the young team award, will advance to the state tournament.
In other results, the Electric Monkeys, an entry from a Bend neighborhood, won the rookie team award. Trinity Lutheran School’s RoboSaints had the best robot performance. Cascade Academy’s Cyber Robotz had the best robot design. Girl Genius from the Girl Scouts of Central Oregon won for best research project. And Da’ Easily Distracted from Sky View Middle School won for best teamwork.
Lego robotics is an activity encompassing science, technology and research as teams build and program autonomous robots and design and present solutions to real-world problems in a competitive environment. In Central Oregon, 22 teams competed in the Dec. 8 tournament.