AUBURN – Auburn Middle School and the AMS Community Learning Center hosted the fourth annual Southern Maine Robot Track Meet on May 3. Sponsored by Maine Robotics, the program brought together elementary and middle school students for a track-meet style robot competition.

The Prowling Panthers from Pownal Elementary School won Overall Meet Champions with four first places and two second places. The Panthers also won Second Place Meet Champions with two first places, two second places and a third place. The Lego Maineiacs from Jay Elementary School were third-place Meet Champions with a first place and three second places.

The meet consisted of eight events, with points going for first, second and third finishes. They included Fastest Robot, Strongest Robot, Slope Climber, Table Navigator, Delivery Mission, Ping Pong Shot Put, Strongest Bridge and the Robot Speed Build. All robots and bridges must be built entirely from LEGO, using the LEGO robot kits or other LEGO parts.

Other competing teams included the Actonites from Acton, the Seventh Sense from Auburn, the Kingdom Cougars from Dixfield, from Gardiner there were Teams Alpha, Beta, Delta, Zeta, and Omega. From Lewiston were the Ms. White’s Robo-Rangers and the Nerd Herd. The Imperials were from Raymond and the Mt. Ararat Eagles from Topsham.

The strongest bridge finishers were Alexa and Matt from the Jay Lego Maineiacs with a bridge that held 65 pounds and weighed only 1443 grams. The official competition only goes to 60 pounds, but a heavier bridge built by Anna and Andrea of the Pownal Panthers was able to hold 115 pounds.

The fastest robot to cover 15 feet was built by Caleb of the Pownal Prowling Panthers that could go the distance in 2.238 seconds.

For a full listing of events and results, visit www.mainerobotics.org/trackmeet.html.