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2017 FIRST Lego League: Hydro Hydras

FIRST Lego League 2017: Hydro Hydras

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a robotics program for 9 to 14 year olds which gets them excited about science, technology, and innovation, while teaching them valuable employment and life skills.

Korbin, Ross, Sam, Hayden, Hydie, and Hollie
Go Hydro Hydras!

Here are Some Highlights from our Research Field Trip to the Abingdon Farmer’s Market!

Early in the season, the team took a field trip to the Abingdon Farmer’s Market where Carol Doss, the Executive Director of the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, taught them.
Carol taught the team about rain gardens, and how they can clean water runoff from roads.
What is the purpose of putting a strip of dirt and trees in the middle of a parking lot?   It’s more than just a bit of natural beauty and shade . . . .
Carol’s last surprise of our outdoor adventure was helping the team discover the secret underneath the grass at the Abingdon Farmer’s Market, and explaining its purpose in preserving the soil and grass.
Inside her office, Carol taught the team using her water runoff model.   The team sprinkled different types of pollution (Kool Aid packets served the purpose well) on the model and then watched how the rain (spray bottles) carried the pollution into creeks, rivers, and streams.
Carol Doss, the Executive Director of the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, with the Hydro Hydras.
Ross, Korbin, Sam, Hollie, Carol Doss, Hydie, and Hayden.

Robot Design and Programming

Working with Coach Peter
Hard at work building the robot!
Where is that piece I need?

Visiting The Abingdon Competition

Peter and Nick, alumni of teams we have sponsored, served as robot performance judges at the Abingdon competition.  
Our team (which competed in Johnson City) visited the Abingdon competition to get ideas and inspiration.
Smiling with crazy-hatted judges
After the Competition Peter and Nick each meet with a team following its competition round, to explain the scoring results.

Presentation Practice at RCAM in Kingsport

Many thanks to the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing for hosting our team for a tour.   The team also gave their presentation to RCAM staff and used their feedback to improve their presentation.

Presentation Practice at JA Street & Associates

Many thanks to Project Managers and Engineers from JA Street and Associates for providing feedback to the team as they researched ways to use rainwater and greywater.

Competition Day at ETSU, December 2017

The team meets with the Robot Design Judges, showing off what their creation can do.

The Hydro Hydras hash out the Core Values challenge.   While they deliberate on the group challenge they just heard, the judges observe them and discern whether using the Core Values is their default setting.

Mrs. Meredith and Mrs. Fish, coaches of our 2017 team, at the ETSU Competition Day

The team presents their research and proposal to judges.   Thanks to ETSU for hosting this local competition.

State Competition at Tennessee Tech, Feb. 2018

Congratulations to the team for progressing from the local to the state competition.  

Here they are smiling at a practice table at Tennessee Tech.

Good show at State! The Hydro Hydras took home 3rd Place Inspiration Award. Inspiration is a Core Values Award, signifying that the team has learned much about Teamwork, Respect, and Inclusion.

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