The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have joined forces with Disney UK and LEGO to encourage youths aged 9-16 to get excited about engineering.
How, may you ask? With the release of Disney’s Big Hero 6 (30th January 2015), the IET have partnered up with Disney to promote the FIRST LEGO LEAGUE. The competition tasks participants with the challenge of building and programming robots (like our protagonist Hiro Hamada), using LEGO MINDSTORM. Once the robots have been created, they will be tasked with a series of challenges such as shooting a ball into a small goal and unlocking hoops from a trap just to name a few. The winner in the UK and Ireland FIRST LEGO LEAGUE will then be whisked away to St Louis, USA to compete in the World festival which is taking place in 2015.
The competition was created in order to evoke awareness and interest in robotics and engineering as a whole, along with helping competitors to develop their skills in technology and design. It has been predicted there will be a shortage of engineers in the UK so the IET are hoping partnering up with Disney UK and LEGO will encourage youngsters to get interested and pursue a career in this field.
If you are interested in taking part or know someone who would, click the link: FIRST LEGO LEAGUE for further information.
To all contestants good luck, we look forward to seeing all entries and congratulating the winner.
Photograph from IMDB, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2245084/?ref_=ttmd_md_nm, 08.12.14