FIRST LEGO League
The HobbyRobot team
Established in 2015, the HobbyRobot team has quickly become one of the leading FIRST LEGO League teams in the Czech Republic and Central Europe. From the start, we've been securing top spots in regional competitions and consistently ranking high at national levels over the past five years. We've also taken our skills international, competing in big tournaments like the World festival in Detroit, USA, FLL IO Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, or FLL OICE 2018 in Hungary. Check out our full list of HobbyRobot team successes on our achievements page.
FLL is more than just a hobby for us - it's a thrilling adventure. Sure, we build and program robots, but we do so much more. We've mastered presenting, can make almost anything with 3D printing and simple tools, build our own electronics, and have learned how to communicate with experts in various fields. And we do all this while having fun and sticking to FIRST's Core values.
Team HobbyRobot is made up of seven kids who are passionate about FLL, supported by four adults who coach and mentor us. Although we function like a small startup, we share a strong familial bond, frequently going on camps and trips together.
Our mission? To discover the best in ourselves and show to the world that we can create amazing things.
Our mission? To discover the best in ourselves and show to the world that we can create amazing things.
A glimpse at our robots
One of the key challenges in FLL is to build a robot that can autonomously complete multiple missions on a game table within a set time limit (you can learn more about FLL further below). Every year, we enhance our robot by conducting extensive testing, measurements, and constructing numerous prototypes.
This year, we've created our best robot yet, the competition-ready model for the 2023/24 MASTERPIECETM season. Named "Pebble," you can check out a dedicated video we've produced to showcase its capabilities and the thinking process behind such creation.
What is FLL
FIRST® LEGO® League, or FLL for short, is an international competition focused on robotics and natural sciences for children aged 9 to 16 (Challenge division). It was established in 1998 in the USA by FIRST with the aim of creating an appealing robotics competition for teenagers. The main goal of the competition is to make the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) accessible and attractive to many children, allowing them to experience the joy of exploration, problem-solving, and programming. The target group of the competition are students from primary and secondary schools up to 16 years old who are motivated to pursue technical fields and research.
FIRST® LEGO® League encourages children in more than 110 countries to think like engineers. During each season, they build, test, and program an autonomous robot made of LEGO MINDSTORMS or LEGO Education SPIKE Prime sets, which completes a series of missions on a special playing field. This discipline is called the Robot Game. Besides the robotics part, teams choose their own research project and tackle real-world problems like real scientists. They have to do research, find experts, present and share their solutions. Through these experiences, teams adopt the fundamental values of the FIRST® community.
FIRST LEGO League Divisions
FLL offers three categories (divisions) of competitions, graded according to age. For the youngest children aged 4 to 6, there is the Discover category. For older children aged 6 to 10, there is the Explore category (formerly known as FLL Junior). Finally, there is the Challenge category for the oldest children aged 9 to 16. This allows children of all ages to engage in STEM and utilize their skills in an exciting competition, building educational habits along the way. They also gain more self confidence in many fields, discover, work in teams and cooperate.
FIRST LEGO League in Numbers
110 countries, 3,700 tournaments, 679,000 participants, 54,000 teams. The impact of FLL is significant, with 92% of children showing greater interest in STEM subjects, 83% having better ability to express their thoughts, 71% improving problem-solving skills, and 91% enhancing teamwork skills.
About the Founders
In 1998, the founders of FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Scienece and Technology), Dean Kamen, and the owner of the LEGO Group, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, joined forces to create FIRST® LEGO® League. Dean and Kjeld share the belief that FLL inspires children to explore, build, and experiment, experiencing the whole process of generating ideas, solving problems, and overcoming obstacles, while gaining confidence in their abilities and skills.
FIRST Core Values
The Core Values are the foundation of the entire FLL program. They are some of the most important aspects of FIRST® competitions, setting FLL apart from other similar competitions and programs. Through the Core Values, participants learn that friendly competition and mutual gain are not separate goals, and that mutual help is the basis of teamwork.
FLL core values include discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun. Discovery fosters curiosity and the desire for new knowledge, while innovation encourages the search for new solutions and creative approaches. Emphasis is placed on the positive impact of activities on society and on creating an inclusive environment where every individual is respected and accepted. Teamwork is key to effective problem-solving, and fun is also a very important part of the whole programme.
A closer look on FLL Challenge category
The Challenge category in FIRST® LEGO® League is divided into four distinct disciplines, each requiring a unique set of skills, making FLL a comprehensive multidisciplinary project:
ROBOT GAME - Teams build and program robots to autonomously perform tasks on a specialized playing field. The key challenges are that the robot cannot be touched during its operation and teams have a strict time limit of only 150 seconds per round.
ROBOT DESIGN - Teams present their strategy and the approach to their robots design to judges. Developing strong presentation skills is crucial, as teams have only five minutes to explain the work they've done over the past six months.
TEAMWORK - This discipline evaluates the level of teamwork, cooperation, and collaboration. It's an opportunity for teams to discuss how they embrace the FLL Core Values and apply these principles within their group.
RESEARCH PROJECT - Teams identify a problem within a specific field (determined annually by the season's theme). Then research and develop a solution, create a prototype, and present their findings to the judges. This category particularly appeals to participants who are less oriented towards robotics, adding a diverse element to the challenge.
Participants are children aged 9 to 16 who meet regularly for at least 12 weeks leading up to the competition day. Throughout this period, they work under the guidance of at least one adult coach, focusing on their robot, research project, presentation skills, and teamwork.
The initial competition is an FLL regional round, from which teams can advance to the national finals and subsequently to international tournaments. Since 2020, the progression system for FLL in the Czech Republic has been structured as follows: Regional round → National final → World championship.
The initial competition is an FLL regional round, from which teams can advance to the national finals and subsequently to international tournaments. Since 2020, the progression system for FLL in the Czech Republic has been structured as follows: Regional round → National final → World championship.
FLL Challenge
from Our Perspective
For us, FLL represents a tremendous opportunity. It's an exciting, interdisciplinary competition that is not only challenging but also very enjoyable. The level of difficulty is really up to us; if we aim to win, it requires significant time commitment. However, as it's our hobby, the effort is rewarding because we learn so much. Thanks to FLL, we've acquired skills beyond just designing, building, and programming robots. We've also learned how to present our ideas effectively, speak English, overcome stage fright, and handle various tools. We've gained experience working with wood and metal and designing custom electronics—skills that, unfortunately, are not typically taught in school, and that's truly awesome.
