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http://www.candgnews.com/news_item.asp?p=2006\december\12_6_06\eastsider\lego.html

Reprinted from the Eastsider (Local Roseville, MI newspaper)…

Roseville students get a LEG-O up

Team displays design, engineering skills at competition

By Maria Allard
C & G Staff Writer

There’s a number of budding engineers currently attending Pierce and Kaiser elementary schools in the Roseville Community Schools district.
They know how to design, build and program robots, work as a team and keep their cool at competitions.
They call themselves the Rockin’ Roseville Robots, and on Nov. 18 they participated in the FIRST LEGO League’s robot rampage at the New Detroit Science Center.
“I was excited,” Kaiser sixth-grader Robbie Poat said of the event, admitting the program concept was a bit on the challenging side.
Last months competition centered on nanotechnology, the new scientific frontier that will impact society, including medicine, computers and the environment. Students were required to select a current or potential application of nanotechnology, design a solution or improvement, program it, and share their project with others.
“They had to build the robot first and then program it to do various challenges,” said parent Brent White, who co-coached the team with parent Jake Covert. “The robot runs on motor cables. It took a long time getting them to design the robot.
“It’s supposed to represent different pieces of technology,â€? Covert said.
The challenge field was an obstacle course on a mat. The obstacles were called mission models, and the mat was the field mat. Some of the models were secured to the mat using 3M Dual Lock fastening material. The mat must be on a smooth, hard, flat surface, and must be surrounded by border walls to contain all of the action.
The team had five minutes to present its challenges to the judges. Students received points for how well each challenge was accomplished. Points also were taken away.
“Every time we touch the robot we lose a point,� Kaiser sixth-grade student Bryan Noce said.
“Yeah, it happened a lot,� sixth-grade Pierce student Kaleb Gorde said.
The Rockin’ Roseville Robots were among eight teams to compete. Although it was a competition, the teams learned from one another.
“All the other teams were gracious and encouraging,� Covert said.
The Roseville team enjoyed the experience.
“It was pretty fun,� Gorde said. “We actually got to go into a special exhibit for free.�
The Roseville team members each received a certificate and medal for participating. The judges also gave them the “most improved team� award, which meant their skills became stronger throughout the day.
“Every time they came to the table, they tried to do more,� White said.
This is the first year FIRST LEGO League has come to RCS.
“This is a pilot program,� Covert said. “We’d like to get this in all the elementaries.�
Covert said the experience gave the students a chance to work on their public speaking, time management and team building skills. The students also honed their design and engineering abilities.
The Roseville team started meeting in August. The team met for two hours two days a week at Kaiser. All prospective members were required to submit an essay explaining why they wanted to join the robotics team.
Kaiser fifth-graders Carla Messer and Kirston Mahaffey, Kaiser sixth-grader Mason Mahaffey, Pierce fifth-grader Larry Roberts, and Pierce fourth-grader Tylor Roberts rounded out the team.
“They worked really hard,� White said. “They put a lot into it.�
It cost about $2,000 to bring the program to Roseville. Donations came from the Roseville Optimist Club, the Kaiser and Pierce parent teacher organizations, Minowitz Manufacturing Co., Wolverine Plating Co., Christian Financial Credit Union and Upton Industries.
You can reach Maria Allard at