Using a Lego robot to put out a fire, lay a pipe or tap a ‘cloud’ so that rain comes out. These and more tasks were well suited to the youngsters. The competition was to complete as many tasks as possible with your team. The level of difficulty determined the number of points. ’’Engineering is very important here,’’ says Kor Visscher. ’’The youngsters are allowed to program the robot in advance, so some groups have mapped out entire routes with assignments. Other groups immediately looked for the most difficult assignments, since those yield the most points.'' Visscher is enthusiastic. I find the afternoon very inspiring with so many enthusiastic children and parents. It's great to be able to contribute to this.’
Attention to technology
The collaborating high-tech companies are partners of the Benelux Final of FIRST LEGO League. And for good reason. Visscher: ,,These competitions are all about the combination of science and technology. That is the core for our companies. Moreover, the young people practice research, design, building and programming. Skills that are vital for employees of our companies.’’ The high-tech bedrijvenlcuster also likes to cooperate in bringing technology to the attention of young people. ,,We do this for example with our own EDU robotics project and with all kinds of activities during the national Dutch Technology Week in May this year. The Benelux Final of FIRST LEGO League fits in well with this,’ Visscher said.
FIRST LEGO League
FIRST LEGO League is a competition that challenges young people between the ages of 9 and 15 to explore the social role of engineering and technology through various tasks. It has been a well-known global spectacle since 1986. Over 200,000 young people from 62 countries get inspired during this event. In the Benelux, the Stichting Techniekpromotie, together with 22 regional partners, organizes the FIRST LEGO League Benelux. This is a spin-off of the international competition in which annually over 400 teams from the Netherlands and Belgium participate.