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25
Mar
National robotics final to be held in Harrogate
Robots will go head-to-head in Harrogate next month when hundreds of young engineers gather for a national competition.
The First Lego League national final will take place at Harrogate Convention Centre for the third year running on Saturday, April 25, bringing together 72 teams of students aged 9 to 16.
Organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the competition sees teams design, build and programme autonomous robots using Lego-based systems.
The robots must complete a series of timed challenges, with points awarded based on their performance.
Teams are also judged on their engineering design, including how their robot is built and programmed, as well as an innovation project, where they research a real-world problem and present a technology-based solution to judges.
This year’s theme, ‘Unearthed’, encourages teams to explore archaeology and cultural heritage, and to develop technology to uncover hidden artefacts and stories.
Competitors from countries including Brazil, France, Kazakhstan and the UK will compete at this year's final.
A team of young engineers enjoying last year's final
Hannah Rees, senior education manager for the competition, said:
First Lego League allows young people to experience engineering in action. It gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with coding and robotics, design innovative solutions to tackle real-world problems.
The event comes amid growing demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills.
Ms Rees said:
There is a significant need for young people with STEM skills to fill the next generation of engineering roles, with the UK needing approximately 3.5 million STEM roles by 2028, highlighting an ongoing workforce demand.
A spokesperson for Harrogate Convention Centre said:
The opportunity to witness these brilliant winning teams showcase their skills live will inspire young minds in the region and spark an interest in STEM, while the hundreds of finalists, accompanied by their families, teachers and volunteers will bring significant traffic to local businesses, generating an approximate economic impact of circa £150,000 for Harrogate.
The competition will be streamed live online throughout the day.
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