Wakatipu High year 9 students Jasper Eckford, 14, and Ollie Sharpe, 13, will compete against about another 50 under-16 teams — many with more than two members — at the First Lego League Open International Championship in Korinthos from May 8 till 11.
In competitions late last year, the boys won the Auckland regionals, after a lack of flights made it too hard for them to compete in the South Islands in Christchurch, and then the national finals, also in Auckland.
Jasper and Ollie belong to the Queenstown Robostormers robotics team whose coach and mentor is local engineer Paula Hugens — she is assisted by coding coach Suki Lee, who is Ollie’s mum.
Hugens says the boys are ‘‘really exceptional, they’re really quiet achievers but they work very hard, and I love how they tackle problem-solving’’.
A big factor in their competition wins was their innovation project.
It’s a robot they’ve designed and built which explores dangerous areas, like mine shafts, and takes 360-degree video footage that can be viewed with a virtual reality device.
Ollie says they were the only team who made a physical robot that does what they want it to do.
Hugens says the international comp also places an emphasis on core values ‘‘where you’ve got to show good, gracious professionalism, this is not one of those where you create robots to go out and kill each other’’.
The boys are aiming to raise about $6000 each to cover flights, accommodation and competition costs — their Givealittle page is ‘Help Jasper & Ollie represent New Zealand at the First Lego League International robotics event in Greece’.
