Buildbots Team - At Legoland Open Tournament

2010's championship, known as Body Forward, saw 76 teams from all over North America participating in a two day tournament, testing their robotic creations and highlighting their research projects in the field of biomedical engineering.

The teams had three months to design, build, program, and test an entirely autonomous LEGO® MINDSTORMS® robot, which could not be directly controlled by the team at any time during the match.

During the qualifying tournaments, each team’s robot competed in an obstacle course, tasked with missions as diverse as repairing bones, putting stents in an artery, and screening blood cells. Students had two and a half minutes per round to complete as many missions as possible.

The children also presented slideshows and took part in interviews focusing on the strengths of their robots’ technical design as well as their ability to work as a team.

An important part of the challenge is a research project in the field of biomedical engineering. As a result of careful fact-finding and consultation with real-world experts in the field, the Buildbots team created a new design for a prosthetic arm tailored to playing sports. The team has also been working closely with the CHAMP Organization (Child Amputee Program) to create awareness across schools on how life can change abruptly and how important it is to prevent accidents and Playing Safe.