FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge at the ROSEN Group in Lingen, Germany
A total of 13 teams from educational institutions of the surrounding area of Lingen (Ems), Germany took part in this year's FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge (FLL), an international research and robotics competition, which was held at the ROSEN Group's Innovation Center on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Due to the large number of teams that entered, the ROSEN Group was able to send two teams to the semi-finals in Aachen, Germany, this year.
FLL 2024 with record participation
"ROSEN has been organizing the competition locally since 2017. This year, we have more registrations than ever before. We are delighted that the FLL has been so well received. This shows the pupils' great interest in the competition and underlines their enthusiasm for technology, robotics and artificial intelligence. It is important to us to promote the young generation's understanding of these topics in a holistic way. I am very impressed by how committed the pupils are and the technological and, above all, creative solutions they have developed in advance – which of course fits in very well with our Innovation Center," said Markus Brors, Chief Technology Officer, company representative of the ROSEN Group in Lingen (Ems), on the occasion of the event.
FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge 2024
Creative paths to the "masterpiece"
During several months of preparation, around 100 pupils constructed an autonomous LEGO robot within their teams and worked on a research project based on the event motto "MASTERPIECE". They had to find creative ways to get others excited about their hobbies and interests in a presentation.
"ROSEN stands for technologies to secure a sustainable future that are based on a creative process of creation: We tinker. We try things out. We think outside the box. The students also gave free rein to their creativity, tinkering with their robots, solving challenging tasks, discarding ideas and overcoming potential hurdles. Ultimately, one thing is crucial: good teamwork. The best results can only be achieved as a team and with mutual support. That's what made ROSEN successful," Brors continues.
Navigating the competition day with Van Gogh and Starry Night
After the opening speech by Brors, an artistically costumed moderation duo from ROSEN took over the stage. Dressed as Vincent van Gogh and one of his famous paintings "Sternennacht" (Starry Night), they gave the official starting signal for the FLL 2024. The teams then went on to present their results. A jury of ROSEN employees evaluated the teams in various disciplines. There was a combined 35-minute jury session for each team in the categories of research, robot design and core values, in which they first presented their research project and then their LEGO robot. One thing quickly became apparent: all teams were very creative in their development. One team, for example, presented a water suit that, in combination with VR glasses, slowly brings people into contact with water and thus helps them to overcome aquaphobia. Another team combined art and technology in their project. They presented the "Klingtgut" app, which allows bands to search for new members or apply for festivals via swipe. Team spirit and interaction with one another were the main criteria for the core values category.
Qualification phase for the Robot Game quarterfinals
This was followed by three preliminary rounds of the Robot Games, in which eight teams qualified for the quarterfinals. In the Robot Game, the LEGO robots programmed by the teams solve predefined tasks in two and a half minutes on a special playing field with LEGO models and collect as many points as possible. For example, the robots had to transport Lego figures to a concert or change the scenery of a theater performance. Two teams competed against each other at the same time in the competition arena.
From the quarterfinals to the semi-finals, the highlight of the event followed in the evening: the Robot Game final! In the evening atmosphere under the spotlights, the two finalists delivered an exciting duel.
FIRST® LEGO® LEAGUE EXPLORE FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN
The day before, the FIRST® LEGO® League Explore for the younger children took place at the bilingual elementary school ROBIGS under the same motto. The children presented a research poster and a LEGO model in the form of an exhibition. The performance of each team was honored with a certificate. The regional competition in Lingen (Ems) is organized by the company together with HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V., the official organizer of the FIRST® LEGO® League in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.