Lego league to the rescue from natural disasters
BATTLING it out to save the world with toy bricks might seem like a pipe-dream.
But nine Lego tech-loving teams are gearing up for the Eastern Cape’s First Lego League (FLL) event next weekend.
The league offers a real-world challenge, to be solved by research, critical thinking and imagination with Lego robotics.
And Panther, Frog, Rescue Squad, Real Steel, Turbolution, Killbot, Codex Cuneos, Flogen Hurgers and ADDA are the teams competing.
It will be held at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s (NMMU) indoor sports centre on Saturday.
NMMU lecturer Ronald Leppan said the theme, Natures Fury, focuses on disasters such as tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, volcanic eruptions, wildfires and storms.
“As part of the project the teams need to choose a community where a natural event could cause a natural disaster,” Leppan said.
Within that community the teams need to identify a problem and brainstorm a solution.
“This will help the community overcome the problem and they must share the solution with the community,” he said.
Team Turbolution, coached by Natasha Saunders, selected floods and initially focused on the Joe Slovo community.
“But when doing our research it became apparent Port Elizabeth citizens seem to be unaware of the dangers of crossing flooded roads and rivers,” Saunders said.
The team includes Rachael Saunders, Emma Saunders, Eirene de Beer and Devan de Beer.
Real Steel, a team of six coached by Rushka Johnson, chose wildfires.
“Wildfires are a pressing problem in our area and we wanted to see and experience the topic first hand.”
Johnson said after studying and focusing on wildfires their eyes opened up to the devastation and damage caused. “While chasing down the most recent bout of fires in Port Elizabeth, we’ve put together a very humorous documentary.”
The documentary can be seen on the Real Steal FLL YouTube channel.
Killbot is a team of Grade 6 science enthusiasts from Parson’s Hill Primary.
Davinio Fourie, Wesley Loxton and Godwin Dhliwayo, all 12, and Marco de Franca, 13, are coached by Stuart Black.
Teams will receive a participation medal. In addition, teams will compete for FLL trophies in five core categories and one special award, which will be given to the team with the best stall.