First in Innovation!
On the last day of June, the Jász-Stones Lego-robot programming and VUK innovation teams of the Csányi Foundation set off for Sydney to compete in the First Lego League – Asia Pacific Open Championship (APOC) – a Lego robotics competition.
On the first day of the competition, we set up our own pavilion where visitors could see the journey of the Jász-Stones team to the finals, and of course, the Hungarian flags were also on display. The main attraction of the day was the cultural evening, where we introduced Hungary, Hungarian culture, and, last but not least, the Foundation. There was dancing, flute music, traditional costumes, and chocolate distribution. The venue was buzzing with excitement, as we met with more than 400 children, with 53 teams from over 40 countries participating in the event. On the second day of the competition, the Lego robotics rounds took place, for which we had been preparing since September. At the same time, we had the opportunity to showcase our innovation, which many people tried out. With the help of the children, Ildi néni created our team’s mascot, Vuk, the little fox, using needle felting techniques. That day, we were pleasantly surprised when B. Nagy Péter László, Head of the Hungarian Consulate and Trade Office, and his colleagues visited us. They also tried out the VUK innovation and wished us success for the competition. In the evening, the organizers treated us to a circus show.
On the third day, we presented our VUK innovation (which stands for Universal Communication for the Blind), followed by the Lego robot implementation in the same forum. This involved three different English presentations, and afterward, we answered the jury’s questions. In the afternoon, we were visited by Peredi-Blaskó Csilla, the head of the Sydney Hungarian School, and her family, who also tested the VUK innovation and had a pleasant conversation with us.
On the last day, we completed joint robot tasks with the Australian Vegemite team, which was considered a separate competition event. The children confidently stood their ground in the international field, forging friendships with Japanese, Australian, Estonian, Brazilian, and German participants. Finally, the award ceremony took place, where participants were recognized in several categories. The Jász-Stones team achieved 1st place in the Innovation category out of 53 international teams. This is an amazing achievement, and we are all extremely happy!”
Jász-Stones team, Csányi Foundation
Photos are available in the Gallery!
