Unity Grammar FIRST® LEGO® League Robotics Teams
What is FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL)?
FIRST® LEGO® League provides students with a hands-on, interactive robotics program in a sports-like atmosphere. Teams focus on team building, problem solving, creativity, and analytical thinking to develop solutions to a problem currently facing the world—the Challenge.
Each year, a new Challenge is unveiled to FLL teams across the world. The teams strategise, design, build, program, test and refine a fully autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS™ technology. The teams also do their own research, talk to professionals, and develop compelling presentations which relate to the Challenge. At FLL competitions, the teams are evaluated on their robot’s performance, their presentation, teamwork, and robot design. For more information on the FIRST® LEGO® League program, visit: http://firstaustralia.org/programs/first-lego-league/
Current Teams:
- STEM Cells X – Senior School (Coordinator Laila Qadan), coached by Zain Khan and Laila Qadan
- STEM Cells Y – Senior School (Coordinator Laila Qadan), coached by Zain Khan and Laila Qadan
- STEM Cells Z – Junior School (Coordinator Eaman Badaui), coached by Zain Khan and Eaman Badaui
All Unity Grammar teams from 2016 onwards have successfully advanced to represent Unity Grammar at the Australian National Tournament in December.
Every year at the Australian National Tournament approximately 10 teams are selected from over 1000 teams in Australia to go onto an international event. At least one or two teams from Unity Grammar have represented Australia at an International tournament from 2017 onwards.
At the AU Nationals in Dec 2019, STEM Cells Y qualified to represent Australia in Japan. However, due to COVID-19 this event was cancelled. We have been offered an alternate position at an international robotics competition to be held in Sydney on the 3 – 5 July 2020.
Key highlights:
“The name first appeared on a napkin; it really did. We were brainstorming several possible team names for the team. Once STEM Cells was written down it was chosen. Each member is a cell, a fully functional unit capable of operating independently of other cells, but when the time demands, able to pool all of its abilities and talents towards the common goal of the team.
STEM is the overarching theme under which the team operates, driving and directing the efforts of every cell towards a greater understanding and appreciation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.” Riad Naanai (founder of STEM Cells)
- 2015: STEM Cells was established
- 2016: Unity Grammar began hosting the South West Regional competition on site in Austral
- 2017: Unity Grammar’s original team; STEM Cells were selected to represent the school and country at an international event in Denmark. This was the first of many subsequent trips that we were fortunate to participate in.
- 2018: History was made as the very first all-Muslim girls team (STEM Cells X) to represent Australia internationally
- 2018: Robotics was officially launched in the Junior School with STEM Cells Z joining the family
- 2019: Out of 10 invites, two Unity Grammar teams were selected to compete at the biggest International robotics event in the world (FIRST Championship). Rookie team STEM Cells Z took out an award for robot programming
- 2020: STEM Cells Y developed a contactless pedestrian traffic light that was shared with multiple professionals including the Minister for Transport. They progressed to represent Australia in Japan, however due to coronavirus this did not occur. They are due to compete at the Asia Pacific Open Championship in July 2020 (tentative)
To see a full list of all our trophies & achievements since 2015 Click here Our International Achievements are displayed below:
We have some great video’s from our International Events.
AWARDS
Champion’s Award: This award recognises a team that embodies the FIRST LEGO League experience, by fully embracing our Core Values while achieving excellence and innovation in both the Robot Game and Project.
Robot Awards
- Mechanical Design: This award recognizes a team that designs and develops a mechanically sound robot that is durable, efficient and highly capable of performing challenge missions.
- Programming: This award recognizes a team that utilizes outstanding programming principles, including clear, concise and reusable code that allows their robot to perform challenge missions autonomously and consistently.
- Strategy & Innovation: This award recognizes a team that uses solid engineering practices and a well- developed strategy to design and build an innovative, high performing robot.
- Robot Performance: This award recognizes a team that scores the most points during the Robot Game. Teams have a chance to compete in at least three 2.5-minute matches and their highest score counts.
Project Awards
- Research: This award recognizes a team that utilizes diverse resources to formulate an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the problem they have identified.
- Innovative Solution: This award recognizes a team’s solution that is exceptionally well-considered and creative, with good potential to solve the problem researched.
- Presentation: This award recognizes a team that effectively communicates the problem they have identified and their proposed solution to both the judges and other potential supporters.
Core Values Awards
- Inspiration: This award celebrates a team that is empowered by their FIRST LEGO League experience and displays extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit.
- Teamwork: This award recognizes a team that is able to accomplish more together than they could as individuals through shared goals, strong communication, effective problem solving and excellent time management.
- Gracious Professionalism®: This award recognizes a team whose members show each other and other teams respect at all times. They recognize that both friendly competition and mutual gain are possible, on and off the playing field.
Global Innovation Award Nomination: A team is nominated to submit an application to participate in the Global Innovation Award (GIA). The FIRST® LEGO® League Global Innovation Award showcases the real-world, innovative solutions created by FLL teams from around the world as part of their annually themed Challenge.
Demonstrating originality, creativity, potential impact and value, 20 semi-finalist teams are recognised for their inventions, and receive assistance to further develop solutions, including $20,000 USD to the winning team.