[6/2/2010]--Directed and organized by Professor Anne Spence of Mechanical Engineering, UMBC hosted the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Maryland State Championship on Saturday, January 30 in the Retriever Activity Center. Despite a moderate snow storm, over sixty teams from Maryland came to compete in the Smart Move Challenge. As Professor Spence states, “This year teams were challenged to transform the way we look at transportation by accessing people, places, goods and services in the safest, most efficient way possible. But FLL is more than just a robot competition. These teams of 9-13 year olds had to show the judges that they were well versed in teamwork, research and technical understanding.” Volunteers for the tournament came from a wide variety of backgrounds from parents to UMBC students to staff to engineers from Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.
Next year's challenge has already begun - Body Forward. Teams will explore the cutting-edge word of Biomedical Engineering to discover innovative ways to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions, and maximize the body's potential, with the intended purpose of leading happier and healthier lives.
Original Story: https://www.me.umbc.edu/node/157/edit
