A group of middle schoolers, known as the "ROBOcircuits," are actively engaged in the 2025-2026 FIRST LEGO League (FLL) "UNEARTHED" season, tackling challenges that blend the excitement of archaeology with the rigors of STEM education.
The team has been working hard for weeks, meeting regularly to analyze the "UNEARTHED" challenge mat and strategize how their custom-built, autonomous LEGO robot can successfully navigate the various missions, such as retrieving delicate artifacts, mapping a dig site, and rebuilding ancient structures. "Every artifact we uncover holds a story," explained team captain Sean, emphasizing the historical context that drives their technical efforts. The students are constantly refining their robot's design and programming using a LEGO Education SPIKE Prime kit, aiming for precision to score maximum points in the robot game competition.
Beyond the robotics field, the ROBOcircuits are also deep in the research phase for the "Innovation Project," one of the four equally weighted components of the FLL competition. The project challenges them to identify a real-world problem faced by archaeologists and propose a creative solution. Ben and Henry explain that the team is drawing inspiration from historical innovations and deep research. "We are currently exploring 3D hologram resources and APP building to develop lightweight, artifact "reconstruction" technologies that archeologists can bring with them to their sites," according to Grant.
Utilizing critical thinking and teamwork throughout the process, they developed and presented a prototype of their solution at the competition on November 23 in Hillsborough. South Hunterdon placed middle of the pack in the Robot game coming in 15th place out of 34 teams competing.
The team members are demonstrating not only strong engineering and coding skills but also the FLL Core Values of Gracious Professionalism and collaboration, as they prepare for the upcoming regional tournaments. The ROBOcircuits are unearthing new findings about themselves and their collective abilities, all while having fun discovering the connections between the past and the future.
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