Two Pennekamp For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (F.I.R.S.T.) LEGO teams were selected in a random draw to compete at the California State Meet at Legoland.  This year's challenge was "No Limits" and consisted of programming a LEGO robot to put a CD away, play ball, climb stairs, feed pets, open a gate, read bus route signs, push in chairs, serve dinner and remove glasses.   Forty-eight teams of children in the fourth through eighth grades participated at the state meet.  

In these photos, Team Turkey cheers on their robot as it competes in one of three rounds.  Each round is judged separately and only the highest round counts towards a team's result.

Team Turkey and Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis worked very hard to prepare their robots, programs, and research for the judges under the guidance of Pennekamp Technology Specialist Gail Hayes.  As if competing on stage in front of a play-by-play announcer, hundreds of screaming fans and a camera watching every move wasn't enough, each team had to do a research presentation to a panel of judges from UC San Diego and the San Diego Super Computing Center.

Here, Team Turkey prepares to push in chairs while in the second photo, the camera watches Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis' attempt to place a ball in the basket.  

If you look carefully at this photo, you will see that Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis has just about filled their basket with balls in addition to successfully programming their robot to climb the stairs and stop on the top level.

Congratulations to Team Turkey

and Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis for doing such a great job of representing Pennekamp!

Point Totals