Robots will converge on Huntington this fall as RCBI hosts a series of FIRST Lego League (FLL) events for students 9 to 14 years old. The excitement begins Sept. 10 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with an FLL Season Kickoff. Area teams and others interested in robotics will gather to learn the details of this year’s global challenge, “Animal Allies.” Students will discover the intricacies of this year’s challenge, learn about the different components of competition, network with other robotics enthusiasts and have a chance to show off the agility of their robotics creations. The free kickoff takes place at RCBI Huntington, located at 1050 Fourth Ave. Events turn competitive Oct. 15 as RCBI hosts the 2016 FLL Scrimmage. Organized teams will participate in an informal competition in the areas of Robot Design, Teamwork Challenge, Research Project and Table Game. The scrimmage, designed to familiarize students will all aspects of official FLL competitions, will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The opportunity to advance to the State FLL Tournament is on the line Nov. 5 as robotics teams converge on RCBI to compete in the region’s FLL State Qualifier. Approximately half of all teams at the Huntington event will earn a chance to vie for best-in-state Dec. 3 in Fairmont. Teams from West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky are eligible to participate in the Kickoff and Scrimmage events while the official State Qualifier is open only to teams based in West Virginia. Cost for the Scrimmage is $25 for each team. The entry fee for the State Qualifier is $50 a team. For more information or to register for one of RCBI’s FLL events, contact Mike Friel at 304-781-1686 or email mfriel@rcbi.org.
