Munster Lego League robotics teams ready to compete

MUNSTER | Five Munster FIRST Lego League robotics teams are revving up for the fourth annual Indiana FIRST Lego League Qualifying Tournament, which will be Nov. 21 in the Savannah Center gym at the Indiana University Northwest, Gary. 

The teams, named SOMATIX, SkeleKids, BLOCK BUSTERS, Lego Wizards and The Bot Squad, are composed of students in grades four through eight.

For the past eight weeks, team members have been working on designing, programming and testing their robot designs. The robots were created and programmed using Lego Mindstorm robotic kits.

Each year, FIRST -- For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology -- develops a series of tasks called "missions" to be solved by each team on a 4-by-8-foot playing field. There is also a related assignment that requires each team to research the problems and careers related to the year's theme.

This year's theme is Body Forward, which relates to body systems and biomedical engineering. The teams designed their robot to solve these missions using Lego Mindstorm kits. In addition, the teams conducted research on a function of the body or a body system and worked on an innovative solution to a problem that exists with a body function or system.

FIRST was founded by Dean Kamen in 1989 in New Hampshire. The nonprofit agency designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge and life skills, according to its Web site. For information about FIRST, visit http://www.usfirst.org, and for information on the Munster Lego League, visit http://www.munsterrobotics.com.