2017 FLL Team (Global Innovation Awards)
The team was 1 of 20 global finalists and 1 of 3 from the whole of Canada to attend the GIA Ceremony. This event (open to FIRST LEGO League robotics teams by invitation only) provided participants with a chance to be recognized, expand their knowlege, and win funds towards improving their prototype to solve a real-world problem centered around the year’s theme: Hydrodynamics.
The team designed an ingenious solution to help solve an existing problem on Sable Island in which the Wild Horses are becoming habituated to buildings. The team has worked together to develop an Animal Deterrent System prototype. The device would use motion sensors and high-frequency sound to keep the Sable Island horses away from humans and buildings in order to preserve their wildness.
During the design stage, the team met with representatives from Parks Canada and a Dalhousie University Electrical Engineering professor to present their upgraded system and reevaluate its feasibility.
At the Regional Qualifiers, held at the Nova Scotia Community College, the “Legos ‘R Us” team won the Robot Design Award which helped secure them a place at the Acadia University Provincial Competition where they were awarded the 2017 Innovative Solution Award and received a nomination from the Judges to be short-listed to attend the Global Innovation Award Ceremony.
Although they didn’t win any prize money at the GIA ($20,000 for first place and $5,000 each for second and third place), they gained valuable experience and had a lot of fun in the process!
- Read about the team’s innovative idea in the CBC News article Sable Island horse deterrent system earns students spot at science competition.
- Make a donation in support of ILA’s FIRST LEGO League Program.
