LEGO®MINDSTORMS® WORLD ROBOT OLYMPIAD    INDIA ROBOT OLYMPIAD: IRO-2007
  "… to create a world where science and technology are celebrated
… where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes …"		  
Robotics - sounds very complex and cutting-edge. Robots - brings up pictures of something that highly qualified engineers would be designing and working on. But, enter the Robotics Club classes at Amity International School Noida, Amity International School Saket or St John's School Chandigarh, or many other schools in India and you see something quite different. 7th and 8th class students in these clubs are designing and creating robots that run, walk, think and do many other interesting things.

These students are part of the LEGO Mindstorms for Schools program being rolled out in India through Techtronics (India) Ltd. This program uses a general, multi-purpose robotics platform called LEGO Mindstorms - the result of years of research collaboration between LEGO, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie-Mellon University.

The Indian winner shall represent our country in the World Robot Olympiad, 2007 (WRO 2007) to be held in November this year at Taiwan. Twenty nine countries from around the world shall be participating in the WRO 2007.

There are three competition categories - Primary School, Junior High School and High School based upon LEGO Mindstorms - the result of years of research collaboration between LEGO, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie-Mellon University, and being rolled out in India by Techtronics (India) Limited. The competition is based upon complex challenges using motorized, pre-programmed robots to carry out set tasks, which include shooting soccer goals, popping balloons in a decathlon race and navigate a city environment
 

LEGO® MINDSTORMS® for Schools is ideal for use in after school club environments, where youngsters have time to explore and invent their own robotics solutions and where they can reap the benefits of adult support. Many schools use MINDSTORMS in their after school clubs as well as in the classroom, which means that their students continue to improve their science and technology skills after school hours, as well as experiencing that Science and Technology is fun!
  Competitions
 

Designing, building and programming robots is a perfect activity for a competitive arena. Will the robot behave as it should? How can it perform more accurately, quickly, and more sophisticatedly? Kids love a challenge – especially if they get to compete with others.

 
In 2005, more than 100,000 children and an estimated 8,000 teams took part in competitive robotics events worldwide. LEGO® MINDSTORMS® for Schools is a key player in these events. Teams typically come from schools and after-school clubs.
 

Competitions are organized by non-profit organizations and financed by sponsors who wish to promote children’s participation in science and technology.

One of the forerunners is FIRST LEGO League, FLL, which was established by FIRST* and the LEGO Group in 1998. Others, such as the World Robot Olympiad, WRO, have witnessed a dramatic increase in participation – in 2005, just one year after being launched WRO had more than 3,700 teams competing.

To find out more about competitive robotics events visit the FLL and WRO websites.
  LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Centers
  LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Centers provide a fascinating forum to introduce children to the challenging and exciting world of robotic.

Centers are run by qualified staff, trained to guide youngsters through various robotic themes and projects. Today, more than 40 partners around the world have established centers in countries such as the USA, Singapore, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, N. Ireland, Germany, UK  and the INDIA.