Robotics event at Pope John High

Sparta — Robots will be running rampant in the old gym of Pope John High School at FIRST Lego League’s 2009 Smart Move Challenge qualifying event to be held on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Sussex County for the first time will finally have its own robotics event and we are doing everything to make it a fun event for families and the general public to attend,” said Mike Bloodworth, event coordinator. At this 2009 event, teams from around the region have been asked to transform the way people look at transportation. The key for a team’s success is accessing people, places, goods and services in the safest, most efficient way possible. Teams will need to consider many modes of transportation beyond their daily routine and streamline their options by making smart moves on the robotics field and scoring points. Trophies for project, teamwork, mechanical design, robot performance and best overall or champion will be awarded at the end of this qualifying tournament. Top winners will battle it out at the NJ State Tournament the following week and that winner will represent this region at the World Festival in Atlanta, Ga. next spring. Each year, FIRST Lego League works with experts to create a different challenge, for 9 to 14-year-olds, that relates to a significant real-world issue. The end result is a two-part challenge that requires research to complete the project, and science and engineering to master the complex missions of the robot game. The aim is to get kids excited about science and technology. Admission is free to the public who will also be able to see a variety of competition robotics projects that high school students have been designing.