“Our programming award honors a team that utilizes outstanding programming principles including clear, concise and reusable code that allows the robot to perform challenge missions autonomously and consistently.

Here’s what the judges have to say about this team:

When responding to nature’s fury, it is imperative that the challenge rescue vehicle keeps track of its location. This team is able to account for the different speeds of its motors and based on wheel circumference, adjusts motor speed to keep moving straight as it chases the storm. The second place programming award goes to team #3070 Alpha Force Mark VI!”

They were such sweet words for a team that’s marking their 6th year in FLL.

This happy bunch of 5th and 9th graders really worked harder this year and they are so glad that they won an award at the State level this time! Their robot, Storm Chaser, is the product of a proud collaboration of teen master builders, pre-teen and teenage programmers, observant testers and the kid’s great pool of ideas.

Their rubric score sheets showed “accomplished” to “exemplary” ratings for all the categories, reflecting all the diligence they put in, mixed with the intense drive to play. The judges’ comments noted the Alpha Force team’s great energy, team spirit, nice way of working together and that the kids were having way too much fun solving the teamwork puzzle even when time was running out. Their Robot Design score sheet in particular showed the highest possible ratings in all the criteria (mechanical design, programming, strategy and innovation), noting the robot’s mature mechanical design and the member’s understanding of the programming control process.

Because this year, they were able to have a greater grasp of how all the physical components, measurements, coding, testing, observations, problem-solving, re-coding, refining and persistence all come into play when doing the challenge missions. The same goes for the research project task process and teamwork aspects.

The scores were on the mark for the Alpha Force team which has gradually seasoned through the years and which has members who started as early as 5th grade and have grown into more mature 9th graders. Earning an award at the State Championship this year is a perfect icing on the cake, especially for the senior members who are now on their last year of FLL!

Here we are celebrating A Smash!