Queens RoboMindTech teams participated in a Bronx-based 2010-2011 FIRST Lego League Lego Robotics Competition on January 15 at Bronx Lehman High School. The competition featured three RoboMindTech teams (RoboTron, RoboBeta, and RoboStar) made up of NYC students ages 9-14 and their adult coaches.
RoboMindTech, founded by Dennis Chan (a former engineer, computer scientist, and more recently a venture capitalist), is an organization where community children who enjoy math and science can participate in science and technology games using LEGO products. During the robotics competition, RoboMindTech students explored biomedical engineering by building a robot that meets the challenge designed by FIRST.
While FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League Competition Games are played in 57 countries with participating 10,000 LEGO Robotics teams, the competition is still relatively new to the New York area, yet it's Chan's mission to expand RoboMindTech games to children who love math and science.
FIRST was initially created by venture capitalist and inventor Dean Kamen, who wished to inspire children to explore and enjoy science and technology, and to hopefully remove the negative "nerdy" stigma surrounding such fields. Keeping this in mind, Kamen created the FIRST games, also known as "The Superbowl of Smarts".
In addition to being a healthy way for technology-loving kids to compete, participation in the FLL games introduces students to real-world engineering challenges using LEGO robots. RoboMindTech has conducted many different workshops and camps in the Queens community, including an after-school program with Queen Herald Community Center and Accelerated Academy, RMT Summer Program in Holy Child Jesus School, and more.
