AEDC sponsored FIRST® LEGO® League teams to compete at Tullahoma High School tournament

  • Published
  • By Raquel March
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  As youth participation increases in the FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) in middle Tennessee, regional competition for the league changed this season. That change is to conduct an FLL sanctioned tournament, the Tullahoma FLL Regional Qualifying Tournament, at Tullahoma High School Nov. 23.

Due to the excessive number of teams registering to be a part of FLL, the tournament held at Tennessee Tech University (TTU) in Cookeville couldn't accommodate all teams.

"In previous years we have hosted a competition that was a 'dress rehearsal' for the Tennessee tournament in Cookeville," said Harry Clark from Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) and the Judge Advisor for the Tullahoma FLL Regional Qualifying Tournament. "This year a certain percentage of our top teams will qualify to advance to the Tennessee tournament."

There will be four regional qualifying events, such as the one at Tullahoma High School, to select 64 teams who will compete at TTU in December.

According to Clark 32 teams, including up to 10 students per team from sixth through eighth grade, will compete at Tullahoma High School.

The AEDC Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Center Coordinator Jere Matty said FLL items from the lending library were loaned to 15 local teams from Bradyville, Cowan, Fayetteville, Hillsboro, Manchester, Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, Tullahoma and Winchester.

The 2013 FLL challenge is Nature's Fury. The challenge includes programming an autonomous robot to score points on a themed playing field and developing a solution to a problem they have identified guided by core values. Nature's Fury presents natural disasters where teams will discover what can be done when intense natural events meet the places people live, work and play.

Nature's Fury missions include: position an evacuation sign; clear an airplane's runway from debris; land a cargo plane safely on a runway; relocate structures; distribute water to people in need; and deliver supplies.

The AEDC STEM Center also lends FIRST supplies for local Jr. LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge teams.

"There will also be seven Jr. LEGO League teams there [Tullahoma High School] to display their work as well as several of the FIRST Tech Challenge teams we sponsor," Matty said.

Jacobs Technology is a sponsor of the event as well as Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA), which provided Nature's Fury challenge tables made by the Franklin County High School carpentry class.

The tournament, which will be located in the high school's gymnasium, is free and open to the public. The doors will open at 8 a.m. Visitors and guests will be offered the opportunity to purchase lunch for $5 at the door.