In a competition in W5 on the 1st December the Aquinas Lego League Team were successful in winning the ‘Teamwork Award.’

The team consists of  (from left to right) Maeve McLaughlin, Patrick Nevin, James Smyth, Anna Linden, Ciaran Guthrie, Katie Martin, Anandu Ragu, Ryan Foy, Noel McAuley, Rebecca Coulter.

This regional competition was part of a worldwide organisation the 1st Lego league firsthandtechnology.org.uk

 As part of the challenge the team had to:
·         Program a robot to complete tasks relating to the Challenge using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® technology.
·         Research and prepare a presentation on the theme of ‘body forward’.

 The aspect of the body they decided to focus on is syringomyelia, this is a generic term referring to a disorder in which a cyst or cavity forms within the spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, can expand and elongate over time, destroying the spinal cord. In order to create greater awareness of this condition they have set up a web site at syringomyeliani.info. This website is dedicated to Northern Ireland sufferers of this condition and they have worked very closely with the local support group SACA. As part of the project they also had to come up with an innovative solution to aid the condition. The team investigated many different ideas but decided to focus on the fact that sufferers of this condition experience loss of sensation in particular heat sensation. They are currently developing a practical solution to this problem which they hope to bring to the Young Innovators in June.