Lego robots, along with creative thinking, problem-solving skills and teamwork, will be in action in the Engineering 5 building on December 4 as 250 youngsters aged nine to 14 compete in the FIRST League Lego (FLL) Waterloo qualifier, co-sponsored by Waterloo Engineering. Competing in this year’s “Food Factor” challenge, the teams have spent the last eight weeks building and programming Lego Mindstorm robots to accomplish up to 15 missions on a specialized mat. The missions include collecting bacteria and washing them off in a sink, delivering groceries, reversing pollution to protect food and lowering the temperature to keep refrigerated food safe. Teams will also present projects to develop innovative solutions to ensure the safe delivery of food to dinner tables.
Architecture grad designs the ultimate green shelf and desk
Geoff Christou (BArch ’10) has teamed up with a childhood friend to create Our Paper Life, a company that sells an environmentally-friendly shelf and a desk made from paper. The adult-size desk and shelf, each costing $19.99, are ideal for university students because they can be easily assembled and recycled when they’re no longer needed.