On November 18, Newton’s dual-high-school robotics team, the LigerBots, hosted a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Newton Qualifier tournament — in which teams of elementary and middle schoolers passionate about robotics compete using LEGO robots that they have designed and built. The LigerBots have hosted FLL tournaments since 2008. This event had LEGOs and robots in every corner of the building, booming voices of the MC announcing matches, 14 FLL teams competing, and 70 LigerBot student volunteers working hard to run this show. In the Newton North cafeteria, FLL teams displayed their projects based on this year’s FIRST theme — The Arts.
In Newton North’s Main Street corridor, the LigerBots showcased their 2022 FIRST Robotics Competition robot and ran two hands-on STEAM activities: making custom buttons and origami pieces. The FLL team members enjoyed interacting with the robot — a machine that can shoot giant tennis balls for them to catch — and found the STEAM demonstrations entertaining.
Of the 14 FLL teams that attended, four were from Newton: New England Code Crackers, Cookie Coders, The First Layer, and Voltage.
The tournament concluded with an awards ceremony and a dance party. All four teams from Newton received awards: Cookie Coders (Innovation Project first place), Voltage (Innovation Project second place), New England Code Crackers (Core Values first place) and The First Layer (Judges Award). Among the six teams that qualified to continue to the state finals next month are two teams from Newton — Cookie Coders and New England Code Crackers. They will compete at the upcoming Massachusetts FLL Championship at two sites — Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Newton North High School.
The LigerBots will again host the MA FLL Championship tournament at Newton North High School on December 16. It’s free and open the public, 9AM-4PM and will include as many as 48 FLL teams competing. As usual, the LigerBots will also host a STEAM Expo alongside the competition, 10AM-3PM. FLL team members and all members of the public will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of hands-on STEAM activities, explore a number of local organizations’ booths, and interact with bigger robots from FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge.
Ed. Note: This article is based on text and photos from Newton’s LigerBots and NewtonSTEM.
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