LEGO-Roboter und Schülerin im Hintergrund© Hands on Technology
The automated LEGO robots are constructed by the students themselves.

On January 10, the First LEGO League Challenge will take place at Technische Universität Ilmenau. Pupils from Germany, Austria and Switzerland will compete against each other in the research and robotics competition. In regional competitions, teams of 9 to 16-year-olds design, program and test a fully automated robot like real engineers and conduct research on current topics. The winning teams will then compete against each other in February and March in various cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland before heading to the grand final in Leipzig on April 18 and 19.

Interested members of the public and representatives of the media are welcome to attend the regional competition at TU Ilmenau on January 10.

Logo der First LEGO LeagueFirst LEGO League
The First LEGO League Challenge will take place on January 10 at the Technical University of Ilmenau.

"UNEARTHED - Discover the past, shape the future" - the theme of the First LEGO League Challenge allows the young researchers to delve deep into the world of archaeology this time. 70 girls and boys from seven schools in the region set out to rediscover hidden treasures and ancient cultures. Their task: to use team spirit, creativity and LEGO robot technology to explore finds, decipher stories and develop visionary ideas for tomorrow.

Mehrere LEGO-Roboter auf einem SpielfeldDino Junski
The playing field, on which the robots have to perform various tasks, is almost four square meters in size.

At the regional competition on January 10 at the TU Ilmenau, 70 girls and boys from Ilmenau, Jena, Kronach, Neustadt bei Coburg and Oberweißbach will compete against each other to determine an overall winning team. In three Robotgame rounds and a jury session, they will demonstrate their young researcher qualities and can qualify for the next round of the First LEGO League Challenge. The regional competition, which is being held for the fifth time at TU Ilmenau, starts at 9 a.m. in the Humboldt Building, the Robotgame competitions begin at 9:45 a.m., the finals will take place at 3:30 p.m. and the awards ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. Guests are very welcome at TU Ilmenau to watch the competitions and jury sessions, cheer on the teams and join in the excitement.

The regional competition takes place in four categories, each of which has points to be scored: To earn as many points as possible in the "Robot Game", the 9- to 16-year-olds must first build a robot and program it so that it solves various tasks inspired by archaeological missions autonomously, i.e. without external control, as quickly and error-free as possible in two and a half minutes on a playing field measuring almost four square meters. The trophy for the best "Robot Design" goes to the team that designs an innovative robot that works as flawlessly as possible, combining the past and technology, and explains the development process most coherently to the judges. In the "Research" category, the teams present their projects based on history, artifacts and ideas for the future. And the "Core Values" category is all about team spirit, collaboration and fair competition.

Jubelndes Team der First LEGO League Challenge© Hands on Technolgy
In the First LEGO League Challenge, children and young people not only learn how to program, but also soft skills such as time management, communication, and team spirit.

In the First LEGO League Challenge, the children and young people not only learn how to program, but also soft skills such as time management, communication and team spirit. The team that scores the most points will qualify for the next round of the competition on March 1 in Braunschweig, before heading to the big Lego League final in Leipzig in mid-April.

On the fringes of the First Lego League Challenge, an impressive Lego exhibition in the foyer of the Humboldt Building will showcase creative models from ILMBricks, a LEGO user group with members from all over Thuringia and beyond. At the Ilmenau Award organized by ILMBricks and the Ilmenau-based IT and consulting company Inverso GmbH, LEGO enthusiasts can test their own construction talent and take part in a competition. Catering for the guests during the event will be provided by the school-leavers of Ilmenau's Goetheschule, who will be boosting their graduation fund.

Contact 

Jenny Gramsch
Division of Marketing and Communication  
+49 3677 69-3288
jenny.gramsch@tu-ilmenau.de