Termin8tors win Irish FIRST LEGO League Challenge 2012

For this year's LEGO challenge, over 300 students flocked to Galway from all over the country on Saturday. The event itself comprised a robotics challenge and an app competition, which had the global theme of food safety.

Hailing from Moycullen in Co Galway, the Termin8tors team comprised nine students, ranging in age from 9 to 14, including two sets of brothers.

Kevin McAndrew, Michael McAndrew, Eoin O'Reilly, Daniel Geoghegan, Emmet Geoghegan, Pearce Geoghegan, Dara Coughlan, Cian Roche and Dylan Wheelan created a smartphone app with the theme of 'Food Safety Buddy'.

The nonet will be heading to Germany in June to compete in the European finals of the LEGO competition.

On the day itself, the Radisson Blu in Galway was transformed into a futuristic space, with students and third-level institutes competing in robotics challenges such as mini sumo robot battles! Science Gallery, Irish Robotics and the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Trinity College Dublin also had interactive displays.

_{Conor McGinn, organiser of the Irish Robotics intervarsity competition pictured with the winners of the competition: Ciarán O Neill, Juzer Banatwala and Ciarán Tuohy. The project name was 'Close Enough' from Trinity Robotics Club. Photo: Andrew Downes}

Other award winners

• Robot Performance Award: St Paul's Secondary School, Oughterard, Co Galway
• Robot Technology Award: Citywise Education, Tallaght, Dublin
• Core Values/Team Award: SAP 40 I-bots from St. Gerards School, Bray, Co Wicklow
• Gracious Professionalism Award: SAP 40 SAPRONOS from St Oliver's Community College, Drogheda, Co Louth
• Project Award: Coláiste na Coiribe, Galway
• Judges' Award: Scoil Mhuire, Letterfrack, Co Galway
• Outstanding Volunteer Award: Declan Askin, a teacher at St. Gerald's College, Castlebar, Co Mayo
• Judges Award for Noisiest and Most Enthusiastic Support: Douglas Community College, Cork.

Carmel Doyle | |