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Saturday, Jan. 8, the Chisago Lakes-North Branch ICE Robotics Team watched information about the challenge via a live NASA broadcast, picked up their kit of robot parts, and began designing the team's robot. The 2011 challenge involves picking up inner tube like game pieces and placing them on pegs and launching a mini robot to climb a steel pole during the final 10 seconds of the game.

The official game title is "LOGO MOTION" because the game pieces are in the shape of the competition's FIRST logo. Commenting about the game, team member Evan Freeman from Chisago Lakes said, "There's a lot of new components we can use this year, so it should be a good experience." To see an animation of the game, visit usfirst.org and click on LOGO MOTION.

During the past week, the team has discussed various design ideas for a manipulator arm to pick up and place game pieces, the type of wheels to be used on the robot, and the challenges that must be overcome by the programmers. The build season for CL-NB ICE Team 3038 will continue until February 22, at which time the robot must be packaged and left untouched until the regional competition held at the University of Minnesota March 31-April 2.

FIRST Team 3038 was part of the winning alliance at the 10,000 Lakes Regional last year and Chisago Lakes - North Branch advanced to the FIRST Championships in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Our success last year has certainly contributed to increased interest in our program this season," commented Becky Leuer, one of the team leaders. "We really appreciate the support of St. Jude Medical Foundation who is the primary sponsor for our team as well as all of the other local groups that have made this team possible." FIRST ICE Robotics Team 3038 is a self supporting program involving high school students from both Chisago Lakes and North Branch. ICE stands for Inter-district Computers and Engineering.

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