Next paper Christmas eve Due to the holiday season schedule, the News will publish on Monday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 28 next week. Our office at 818 Broughton St. will close at 3 p.m. on Dec. 24 and reopen Dec. 27 at 8:30 a.m.
NEWS: Research brings hope for stroke victims /A3 ARTS: Victoria singer works toward her dream /A12 SPORTS: HarbourCats roster Lambrick grads /A15
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Friday, December 21, 2012
Matt Sommer, 12, left, Kai Stevenson, 8, and Chris Burrows, 11, were among almost 200 students involved in the Vancouver Island First LEGO League regional competition held at the University of Victoria on Dec. 15. Arnold Lim/News staff
Finding solutions is childs’ play Arnold Lim News staff
Almost 200 elementary and middle school students in 13 teams from across Greater Victoria gathered at the University of Victoria for a competition aimed at helping seniors overcome daily challenges. Students were charged with the challenge of creating, designing, and programming a Lego robot that can locate the correct medicine, move furniture, garden, fix a broken chair and walk a service dog. “(They) look at the way robots or technology can enhance the lives of senior citizens,” said event co-ordinator and UVic PhD student Michael Hammond-Todd. “It is an inquiry-driven process where students are looking for real solutions for
real-world problems.” secondary or post secondary students.” Young competitors brought their existing All robots were created from a standard Lego robots and programed them on the Lego Mindstorms NXT kit, but modified to spot for a battery of tests, all which repre- tackle different solutions to the problems. sent challenges seniors face Students use the included in their daily lives. software to program com“Students are “Vancouver Island has a mands, including how many very active community of looking for real seconds to move, degree of educators and students inter- solutions for real-world motion and rotation, and even ested in robots and techsimple voice commands. nology. The programs are problems.” The event, hosted by the designed to inspire students - Michael Hammond-Todd faculties of education and in the fields of science, techengineering, was meant to nology, and engineering,” Hammond-Todd get more kids interested in science and math, said. “I think this is a realm of science and and acted as the Vancouver Island First Lego research (that) can be a benefit. … It is pro- League regional competition. viding an opportunity to talk to people out“How fitting that the challenge theme for side of their generation and peer group and the first Lego league event happening on think about solutions they may work on as the UVic campus is ‘senior solutions’ – solv-
ing problems faced by seniors as they age,” said Holly Tuokko, director of UVic’s Centre on Aging. Building Lego robots was a hit with 11 year old Chris Burrows, who was excited to get the opportunity to compete at UVic. “I think this is really fun, a lot of people who like Lego and robot stuff would really like it,” he said. “When I grow up, I want to be a Lego designer.” Burrows started playing with Lego two years ago and is one of the founding members of Legobotics, a team of three that hope to advance to the provincials in Vancouver in January. “I like programming and robotics,” he said. “You can get a lot of freedom in what you build.” reporter@vicnews.com
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