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More than 40 technology-minded youngsters from the central peninsula area competed in the Peninsula LEGO Robotics Expo at the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska on Saturday as preparation for a larger robotics competition next month.

"We're calling this the Robotics Expo since all participating teams can qualify for the upcoming state tournament in Anchorage on January 16, 2010," said Allan Miller, coordinator for the Kenai event, "but really it's just a chance for them to have a preliminary exposition test of their robots and skills in a competition format."

Created in a partnership between FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and The LEGO Group in 1998, the FIRST LEGO League is an international program for children ages 9 to 14.

Saturday's event -- co-hosted by the Juneau Economic Development Committee (JEDC) and the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska -- was an inaugural tournament for the Kenai area, but similar events have been taking place around the state since November, according to Miller.

"This weekend will be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what many of us hope to see develop here on the Kenai out of the partnership between the Challenger Center and JEDC," he said.

"Fairbanks, Bethel and Juneau each already run a large -- 50 or more teams -- tournament and we think (this) would be a great educational addition to the Kenai Peninsula."

The tournaments are designed to engage children while teaching them about science themes.

"Last year's theme was climate control, and next year's is bioengineering," Miller said. "This year's theme, 'Smart Move,' is related to transportation."

This year's theme challenges teams to use LEGO technologies materials to demonstrate ways of accessing people, places, goods and services safely and efficiently. The six teams -- one from Kenai Middle School, two from IDEA-Connections home school programs and three from Soldotna Montessori School -- designed, built and programmed robots to complete missions based on real-world challenges.

On Saturday, they strutted their robot's stuff for the Smart Move Lego Table Challenge.

"They have three rounds on the table," Miller said.

For each two-and-a-half minute round on the table, the teams sent their creation through an obstacle course, where they used the robot to perform tasks such as picking up items, driving over bridges and avoiding or knocking down walls.

"They also have a Teamwork Challenge and an Engineering and Design Challenge" Miller said.

For the design challenge the children explained their engineering, such as how and why their robot was designed and programmed in its own unique way.

"This is to see what they learned and to be sure the kids did the work," Miller said.

For the team challenge, the children were given a task to complete, and they were judged on how well they worked together to accomplish this task.

"I think its great for the kids," said Sandra Emery, whose 11-year-old son, Trysten, was on the IDEA Homeschool Team No. 1.

"They learn how to deal with other personalities, other than the ones they live with," she said. "So no matter how the competition goes, they're learning life skills."

Emery said her son had waited years to be old enough to be eligible to be a part of the competition, and was excited to be on a team this year.

"I have three boys and the others are more competitive, or into sports or motorcycles, but Trysten has always been my thinking child," she said. "He likes to figure things out."

Emery said Trysten had more than 100,000 LEGOs at home.

"I'm a LEGO maniac," he said.

Since Saturday's event was an exhibition, no teams were eliminated, but they were still scored.

"At the end we tallied the results from the three sessions" Miller said

The Top 2 teams in each were: in Engineering and Design, IDEA Homeschool Team No. 2 and Kenai Middle School Extremophiles; in the Teamwork Challenge, IDEA Homeschool Team No. 1 and Kenai Middle School Extremophiles; and in the Smartmove Lego Table Challenge the top teams -- both with 135 points -- were Soldotna Montessori Red and Kenai Middle School Extremophiles.

Medals were awarded to all the competitors and they all will have an opportunity to compete in Anchorage next month. Winners from the Anchorage event will go on to compete outside of Alaska.

Joseph Robertia can be reached at joseph.robertia@peninsulaclarion.com.