I’ve been researching FIRST’s (Foundation for the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League for potential stories and came across this neat video on YouTube that demonstrates the LUNACY game for the 2009 FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC). Competitors build robots that are designed to move on a low-friction surface. The robots have a cart in tow, and to score points, robots pick up and shoot balls into competitor robots’ carts. Robots are controlled remotely from the sidelines of the competition area, and competitors can also shoot balls into play from the sidelines. Additional points can be scored during the last 20 seconds of the game by shooting the special “Super Cell” ball into an opponent’s cart.

The FRC has been in existence for 18 years, and each year a new game and challenge is announced. The LUNACY game was announced to honor the 40th anniversy of Apollo 11. FRC is for high-school students, and teams are given a kit of parts without instructions, and with the help of mentors, design and test robots to compete in regional competitions before advancing to the FIRST Championship.

More information at http://www.usfirst.org