I-SET Hey That’s Us team were awarded the Championship award. They are showing off their trophy and their big yellow mascot called IT.

On Saturday, 13 October 2018, the Inspired towards Science, Engineering and Technology (I-SET) community engagement flagship project hosted the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Gauteng Central regional competition. The themed challenge this year is Into Orbit!

The 31 teams were required to research the theme, and build and program an autonomous robot to complete the missions described in the Into Orbit challenge. All participants in this competition received medals.

I-SET is indebted to the team of dedicated volunteers, including a large delegation of Unisa staff and learners now too old to participate. Volunteers are required to judge the research projects, evaluate the team core values and assess the technical building and programming skills of the robot.

Referees are required to score the robot runs. Each team is allocated four robot runs; the highest scoring run is the team’s final score. The energised MCs ensured that the teams remained in high energy and fun levels from early in the morning until the end of the day!

I-SET Andromeda (from Pretoria High School for Girls) was awarded the Project Research Award (Innovation Solution).

I-SET featured well in the awards.

• I-SET Orbeez (from Pretoria High School for Girls) was awarded Robot Design (Strategy and Innovation).
• I-SET Andromeda (from Pretoria High School for Girls) was awarded the Project Research Award (Innovation Solution).
• I-SET Mayfair Falcons (from Mayfair Convent) was awarded the Project Research Award (Presentation).
• I-SET Mayfair Hawks (from Mayfair Convent) were awarded the Core Values Award (Gracious Professionalism).
• ASTEMI Napscom (from Tzaneen) was awarded the Judge’s Award. (I-SET was awarded an ASTEMI (Association of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Innovation Olympiads and Competitions) grant to develop new teams in 2018. For this grant, three regions were identified. One of the regions was Tzaneen. Three ASTEMI teams from Tzaneen participated in the Gauteng Central competition at Unisa.)
• I-SET Hey That’s Us team were awarded the Championship award.

On the same day, the teams from Knysna participated in the Eastern Cape Regional competition hosted at NMMU. The ASTEMI team from Percy Mdala Secondary School was awarded the Championship Award.

ASTEMI Napscom (from Tzaneen) was awarded the Judge’s Award.

So on 13 October, three teams qualified for the South Africa Nationals competition to be held on 30 November and 1 December at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg.

Sincere thanks are expressed to the community of volunteers and inspired teams and their coaches who ensured that the day was enjoyed by all! For more information and opportunities to get involved, kindly contact Patricia Gouws.

*By Patricia Gouws