A small group of tamariki with an average age of 10yrs from Lucknow and Mayfair schools won an invitation to compete in the annual open Lego robotics competition that was held in Los Angeles in 2019.  HB Allstars had scored highly in the NZ national robotics competition, impressing with their score in the 4 compulsory areas that makes up a robotics competition.  After much fundraising, the tamariki, teachers, parents and supporters flew to LA, stayed at the Legoland Hotel and had an amazing experience. 

HB Allstars exceeded all expectations by winning the projects section of the comp against competing teams from across the world.  They were the youngest group there with teams generally from high school with an upper age limit of 16yrs old.  All teams had to compete across challenge areas under a theme based on living in Space, including expression of the Lego robotics challenge values, completing set tasks using robots they made, and a projects-based initiative round problem-solving. 

The project challenge for all teams at the LA competition was to identify an issue for astronauts living for long periods of time on the space station in outer space and to provide a viable solution, present their solution to the judges  (one of whom was a scientist from NASA) and the HB Allstars did Heretaunga, and New Zealand proud by winning this section!   The problem the tamariki identified was based on the astronauts not being able to connect with their whanau except in front of a computer screen – they couldn’t physically visit their homes, hug their family, due to their circumstances and distance. The HB Allstars figured out a way using existing science to allow them to virtually be in the same room, even feel the sensation of hugging them!

The whole team also took Maori culture to the audience and people who met them by introducing them to “Kia ora”,  hongi, haka, waiata and pukana.  They were all amazing ambassadors for Heretaunga and were welcomed home as the stars they are in time-honoured manner.

From their success the two schools have worked together to form a robotics academy and are now looking at how other schools can participate.  The sky’s the limit for our Heretaunga tamariki and rangatahi – whatever could happen next? 

2020 Robotics challenge:  Watch out for the 2020 Heretaunga robotics team, NZ Blackbots!