AUGUSTA — Maine Robotics hosted the 10th annual Maine FIRST Lego League Championship on Dec. 12 at the Augusta Civic Center.

This year’s theme was “Smart Move” and involved the teams learning about transportation issues in their communities and around the world. Each team had defined a transportation issue or problem, researched that topic, proposed a possible solution and reported their findings back to the community.

The teams also built and programmed Lego robots to compete on a playing field where they needed to actuate a crash test vehicle, deliver a container of people out onto the playing field, navigate around the course, drive onto a bridge and other transportation related missions.

The competition hosted 50 teams from around Maine; total attendance for the day was 360 team members, ages 9 to 14, and 800 volunteers and spectators.

Local teams that earned awards were:

Robot Design, second place, 2 BEE Determined from Farmington; Innovative Robot Design, first place, Ego LEGOs from Bethel; Project and Presentation Award, fourth, Autobots from Jay; Table Top Performance Award, first, 6 Chicks and a Dude from Jay.

The first place 2009 FIRST Lego League Champions Award Winner was 6 Chicks and a Dude from Jay, coached by Rob Taylor. Second place was awarded to 2 BEE Determined from Farmington, coached by Jan Roberts.

The champions, 6 Chicks and a Dude, will be invited to compete in the FIRST Lego League World Festival to be held from April 14 to 17 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga.

For further information on Maine Robotics or the FIRST Lego League, visit www.mainerobotics.org or contact Thomas Bickford, executive director, at 866-4340 or [email protected].