Aspiring young scientists click at UOIT at province-wide robotics championship

The cutting-edge world of Biomedical Engineering was put under the microscope by hundreds of the brightest young minds in Ontario on January 15 at the annual FIRST ^®LEGO^® League (FLL) provincial robotics championships hosted by the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa, Ontario. FIRST is an acronym that means For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

 "The students amazed the judges by demonstrating how well prepared they were to apply their knowledge of math and science concepts in a high-pressure environment," said Dave Ellis, organizer of the FLL Ontario championship event. "All of the teams worked extremely hard to design, build and program their autonomous robots using LEGO Mindstorms software, present their findings and then compete against the clock. The competitors, their coaches and their parents should be very proud of their achievements and commitment to FLL's mission: inspiring young people to be science and technology leaders." 

Each year, FLL designs the competition to have teams delve into real-world scientific issues. This year's challenge (Body Forward) focused on Biomedical Engineering, where students discovered and explored innovative ways to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions and maximize the body's potential, with the intended purpose of helping everyone lead happier and healthier lives. Robotic missions included tasks like blood screening, bone repair, auto-dispensing medication and the destruction of bad cells.

 "Teams earned their spots in the provincial championship by taking part in one of 12 regional qualifying events," said Ellis. "While the students were judged on their robot design, performance and their research and solutions to real-world problems, they were also evaluated for their demonstration of FLL's core values which include factors like teamwork, sportsmanship, sharing and the spirit of friendly competition."

During the lunch session, the students heard a special presentation by Dr. Kenneth Pace of the Keenan Research Centre at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Pace shared some insight on the latest developments in robotic surgery (including the DaVinci robot) in both Canada and the United States, providing the competitors with inspiration as to where their personal and collective interests in science and technology might eventually lead them.

 The Ontario championship event held at UOIT was one of many held around the globe. The top team from each event qualifies for the FLL World Festival, which is being held this year in April in St. Louis, Missouri. This year's Ontario champion is one of the three teams entered by Oakville's E-Bots club (The Sentinels).

Awards List

 

Champion's Award (1^st) - E-Bots, Oakville (The Sentinels)
Champion's Award (2^nd) - E-Bots, Oakville (The Ferocious Femurs)

Robot Performance Award (1^st) - Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary, St. Catharines
Robot Performance Award (2^nd) - E-Bots, Oakvile (The Sentinels)

Innovative Solution Award (1^st) - Bayview Glen School, Toronto
Innovative Solution Award (2^nd) - The Bishop Strachan School, Toronto

Mechanical Design Award (1^st) - E-Bots, Oakville (Shock Squad)
Mechanical Design Award (2^nd) - École Bellewood, Windsor

Inspiration Award (1^st) - Tomken Road Middle School, Mississauga
Inspiration Award (2^nd) - Kent Senior Public School, Toronto

Presentation Award (1^st) - St. Clement's School, Toronto
Presentation Award (2^nd) - Whitby Montessori & Elementary School, Whitby

Programming Award (1^st) - W.A.F.F.L.E.S., Kingston
Programming Award (2^nd) - Kitchener-Waterloo Bilingual School, Waterloo

Teamwork Award (1^st) - Glen Ames Senior Public School, Toronto
Teamwork Award (2^nd) - Rosedale Public School, Sarnia

Research Award (1^st) - S.A. Cawker Public School, Port Perry
Research Award (2^nd) - Centennial Public School, Waterloo

Innovation & Strategy Award (1^st) - Tomken Road Middle School, Mississauga
Innovation & Strategy Award (2^nd) - St. Michael's College School, Toronto

Gracious Professionalism Award (1^st) - Guardian Angels Catholic School, Waterdown
Gracious Professionalism Award (2^nd) - The Study School, Westmount (Waterloo)

Judges' Award - Independent, St. Catharines (H2O)
Rising Star Award - Armour Heights Public School, Toronto
Coach Award - Larry Palazzi, École Bellewood, Windsor
Young Adult Mentor - Ben (GARF 10), Guardian Angels Catholic School, Waterdown
Outstanding Volunteer - Dr. Ramiro Liscano, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, UOIT

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