FIRST LEGO League (FLL)

More than 1000 people attended the National District Finals of the Lego League held in Western Australia at Curtin University on December 14th 2019.  It was a celebration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  The energy and gracious professionalism shown by all teams and audience was inspiring and no doubt the numbers of teams will grow next year.

Five of the 48 teams participating won the right to compete in International First Lego League events in Brazil, Japan, the United States and in Sydney. Those five teams were Iona Presentation College, Lathlain Primary School, Atwell College, Golden Bay Primary School and St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls. 

FLL schedule for 2020

With team registrations continuing to increase, 2020 may see a further increase in the qualifying competitions in WA.  2019 was 6 plus the finals at Curtin, 2020 may extend to 8 plus the finals at Curtin. But that is to be confirmed.   It will certainly be no less, I can guarantee that!

What is FIRST LEGO® League (FLL)?

FLL is a STEM project for young people aged 9 to 16 years, working in teams of up to 10 with a teacher, parent or other mentor. Each year FLL releases a new challenge for our teams.

The Robot Game

Teams build a robot using a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® kit that they programme to autonomously complete a series of missions on a specialised arena and to score as many points as possible.

Robot Design

The technical aspect of the robot is assessed including design, programming and robustness.

Project

The teams identify a real world problem related to the theme, research the issues behind it and propose a solution. Through the project, teams learn more about the science behind the challenge theme.

Core Values

Whilst competing, the teams have to demonstrate FLL Core Values including Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® encouraging high quality work, unqualified kindness, respect and learning.

How do we take part?

If you have never taken part in FLL before, we strongly advise you to first come along to an Information Evening (see FLL 2020 schedule above). If you are unable to attend one of these, please don’t hesitate to contact Tim Keely directly on 9266 5815  t.keely@curtin.edu.au

Register your team for FLL

Team coaches can register teams for the 2020 FLL challenge through the FIRST Australia website.

Registration costs for 2019 are below, 2020 are not yet confirmed

• AUD$400 for one team with one game kit + shipping
• AUD$475 for two teams sharing one game kit + shipping
• AUD$800 for two teams with two game kits + shipping

Registration includes:

• A field setup kit (this is the practice field for your robot), comprised of an exclusive selection of LEGO® bricks, the instructions to assemble your mission models, and a roll-out field to practice on.
• Entry into one of the West Australian regional tournaments.

Materials are distributed in August and teams have 10 to 12 weeks to work on the challenges. FIRST LEGO League is an incredibly rewarding program for young students, and teams can come from schools, social groups, community groups, homes, church groups, etc.

If you want to start a team, there are a few things you will need:

• A dedicated adult coach
• A LEGO Mindstorms EV3, NXT or RCX robot kit
• A place to meet to work on building robots, practicing games and working on the project.

Teams then enter one of the West Australian Regional tournaments taking place in November. Qualifying teams go forward to the WA State Final, then potentially onto Australian National tournament in December, at which they may qualify further to compete at an international event, representing Australia.

Team registrations will be accepted until all slots are filled.

For further enquiries regarding the FIRST Lego League, contact:

Tim Keely
STEM Outreach Coordinator
t.keely@curtin.edu.au
9266 5815