Heartland Robotics Qualifies for State
Congratulations to the DIGI-MINDS and the Astro Hackers
On Saturday, January 12, 2019, the Heartland FIRST Lego League robotics teams competed in the Columbus Qualifier Event in Columbus, Nebraska. The Astro Hackers (6thgrade) and DIGI-MINDS (JH) have been putting in countless hours gearing up for this event. Both teams had to identify a physical or social problem faced by humans during long duration space exploration and propose a solution. The Astro Hackers developed an exercise device called “Muscle Madness” that would give astronauts an opportunity to use resistance bands to perform upper body exercises such as pull-ups, lateral raises, and bicep curls so they don’t lose muscle mass while in space. The DIGI-MINDS created scented bands they call “Sniff Snap” that use lavender blooms, coffee beans, or chopped up corn cobs infused with different essential oils. The bands were created to remind astronauts of smells on Earth as well as relieve stress and improve concentration. After the morning judging rounds (Project, Core Values, Robot Design), the teams spent the afternoon competing in the Robot Games. These games are exciting and very intense due to the fact that the teams only have 2.5 minutes to complete their missions. We are proud to report that both Heartland teams completed a perfect run! The Astro Hackers finished with a score of 135 to earn 2ndplace in the game portion while the DIGI-MINDS finished with a score of 100 to earn 4thplace. After all the judging was completed, it was announced that both Heartland teams had qualified for the state competition along with 14 other teams. There were a total of 39 teams at the event. The DIGI-MINDS also won the Robot Design Award for their excellence in mechanical design, innovation, and programming effectiveness and strategy. A HUGE congratulations to all the robotics students!