NVMS FLL 2012 Competition Season

The season began in late August. We had enough students turn out to form two seven-member teams who named themselves the Lightning Lancers (8726) and the Thunder Lancers (8728). We met three days a week developing the Project and robotics challenge called Senior Solutions, about helping seniors to have a better quality of life.

Thunder Lancers at the House of Pure Aloha

Sunday, November 4^th, Andrea and I met three students on the Thunder Lancers Lego Robotics team at Uncle Clay's shave ice store to demonstrate their robot and invite the community to the Lego League Tournament the next week at Kalani High School.

Threee Thunder Lancers handed out fliers and demonstrated the robot in front of Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha (HOPA).

The students had shave ice later. Photo by Andrea.

HOPA co-owner Branson Chang (Uncle Clay's nephew) took this photo of us and included an image of the flier.

Kalani High School FLL District Tournament

Andrea and I arrived just after 7:00 AM at Kalani High School for the Dictrict Tournament on Monday, November 2^th, Veteran's Day. Two of the NVMS teams' students were already there. The judging interviews were in the morning, with lunch starting early at 10:30 AM. The table robot competition began just after 11:00 AM. Awards ceremony was at 12:30 PM.

Both of the NVMS FLL teams, the Lightning Lancers (8726) and the Thunder Lancers (8728), did very well that day, with the Thunder Lancers winning the Robot Design Award and also winning the right to advance to the State FLL Championship.

Lightning lancers wait for Project judging. Both Lightning and Thunder were up first at 8:30 AM. They set the bar high!

Lightning Lancers together at the tournament.

Madi, a Kalani Robotics volunteer helping to run the tournament, liked my lightning bolt.

Lightning Lancers at the practice table in the pit area (cafeteria).

Iterative adjustments are made in programs by testing at the practice table.

When the competition gets tough the team pulls together.

Intense competitors at table A.

Andrea with the Thunder Lancers at table C.

Lightning Lancers competing at table C. The Lightning Lancers scored 120 points, ranking 11^th out of 19 teams.

The Thunder Lancers are proud of their Robot Design trophy.

The two NVMS teams together.

The Thunder Lancers had 190 points on the table robot performance competition, ranking sixth out of 19, and won the Robot Design Award, ending up in the top five overall ranking for a spot at the State Tournament. The Lightning Lancers also performed well overall but did not win any formal awards.

Email: Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com