Durham College to host FIRST LEGO League provincial robotics championship

Oshawa, Ont. – On Saturday, January 14, LEGO robots designed by some of Ontario’s brightest young minds will take over Durham College’s (DC) Oshawa campus when the college hosts the annual FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Ontario East Provincial Championships. FIRST is an acronym that means For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

Nearly 400 students (ages nine to 14), along with their families, friends and coaches, as well as 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.

This year’s ANIMAL ALLIESSM challenge is all about our furry, feathered, and finned friends. Teams must look into the eyes of our ANIMAL ALLIES to see what might become possible when we learn to help each other. For the project, each team must identify a real-world problem that happens when animals and humans interact; create an innovative solution that makes the interaction better for animals, people, or both; and share their solution with others.

In the robot game, teams design, build, program and test autonomous robots using LEGO Mindstorms software that must perform a series of tasks, or missions within a two-and-a-half minute time limit. The game and its missions often symbolize solutions to some of the problems presented in the challenge theme. The missions are performed on a standard FLL Field, under a set of rules.

When: January 14

Time:

  • 7:30 a.m. Pits open
  • 8 a.m. Judging and practice rounds begin
  • 10:10 a.m. Opening ceremonies
  • 10:50 a.m. Judging and practice rounds continue
  • 11:50 a.m. Lunch
  • 1 p.m. Call backs
  • 2 p.m. Official robot matches begin – this is the best time to see the robot action live!
  • 5 p.m. Closing ceremonies

Where: Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre – Gyms 3,4 and 5, Durham College, Oshawa campus
2000 Simcoe Street North
Oshawa, Ontario

Media are asked to sign-in when they arrive at the media sign-in table outside of the gymnasiums.

Parking: free parking is available in Founders lot 2 and 3.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000 ext. 2000.

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact:
Melissa McLean
Communications and Marketing
T: 905.721.2000 ext. 2952
C: 905.259.8483