This year, the Elsa High School section Design Challenge put students in a simulated lunar environment. Themed 'Battle Blocks' students in groups were tasked with designing, building, coding, and branding their own Battle Block bots. Their Lego Technic based vehicles were then stress tested in different scenarios to see who would be crowned champion.
Student Reflections
WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST REACTIONS TO THE DESIGN CHALLENGE BRIEF?
Ahree Grade 6 I initially thought the Design Challenge was going to be very difficult, especially because the task was to build a “battle bot” in 2-3 days. However, once I explored the task more deeply, I could understand that it wouldn’t be too hard, as long as our team worked together. We first decided to research more to further understand our task, so we could complete it while knowing what we were doing. We then decided to find out which of the roles each of us was best at, so we could all work hard while working well at the same time.
Emily Grade 8 I enjoyed the Design Challenge idea where we made robotic rovers to mine for Helium-3; it was an interesting blend of planetary science and technology. The different activities were also quite exciting, such as the Alliance Quest and the Duel Done, where the robotic rovers competed against each other in 'timed battles'.
Our team devised a strategy for the challenge, going over all of the possibilities for different things, such as what we would need to do if the other team’s robot were larger. What would happen if we added so and so, etc? For our roles, we went through all of our experiences in the past and made a decision that matched our skill sets.
HOW DID YOUR TEAM GO ABOUT STARTING THE INITIAL PROCESS? HOW DID YOU DIVIDE YOUR TEAM’S ROLES?
Ahree Grade 6 We first decided to research more to further understand our task so we could complete it while knowing what we were doing. We then decided to find out which of the roles each of us were best at, so we could all work hard while working well at the same time.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOUR TEAM FACED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES?
Ahree Grade 6 The biggest challenge we faced at the start of the week, and my team will agree, was communication. On the first day, we all yelled over each other and argued, but by the end of the week, we were left with a 'Super Trooper' robot that was fully functional! Although we struggled to share our ideas and to compromise, we managed to consider all of each other's suggestions and fulfil them to the best of our abilities.
Emily Grade 8 One of the challenges we experienced was when our robot didn't function. In spite of that, we overcame the issue by asking an expert for help, changing our motors and putting less weight on our rover. Another challenge was when a few Lego pieces broke, but we managed to save up enough to get replacement pieces.
Shahar Grade 10 At first, our team found the Design Challenge difficult because none of us had experience designing a functioning robot. However, we quickly realized that each person brought different strengths to the group—some specialized in media, others in building or coding—so we decided to divide our roles based on individual skills. This approach helped us stay organized and confident as we began turning our ideas into action.
One of the biggest challenges we faced early on was placing the motor in an unusual position. Initially, we thought this mistake would cost us the project, but through testing and trial, we discovered that the motor’s placement actually improved our robot’s performance. It created a spinning gadget that could clear spaces effectively, which ended up being one of our robot’s standout features. This experience taught us the value of problem-solving and keeping an open mind when things don’t go as planned.
The highlight of the week was when our team, AkivaX (Akiva 5), won first place out of 23 teams with a total of 174 points. We were thrilled that our creativity, teamwork, and perseverance paid off. Looking back, the Design Challenge not only improved our technical and design skills but also strengthened our collaboration and communication as a team.
Felix Grade 9 When we first heard of the Design Challenge brief, it was really exciting because it was unlike anything we had ever done before. This year, we looked to Outer Space and robots to inspire our designs. It was a unique opportunity to explore our creativity while tackling real-world engineering problems. Many of us were eager to step into leadership roles and collaborate with classmates we hadn’t previously worked with, which added an extra layer of enthusiasm.
We began the initial process with an open brainstorming session in which everyone shared their thoughts and ideas. This approach encouraged participation from all members and helped us to build a sense of ownership in the project. A challenge that my group faced was that none of us knew how to code on Scratch programming, so it was particularly difficult to move forward from that. Despite this, a group member was determined to figure it out, and in the end, we placed second overall!
WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK?
Ahree Grade 6 The highlight of the week was definitely the mini challenges, where we could earn points and purchase items at the upgrade store to improve our rovers. At the end of this challenge, I had learned not only about the moon but also how crucial it is to communicate with the people around you.
Yeda Grade 9 The design challenge brief was very unexpected. Along with many others, my first guess was that the challenge would be related to rockets, spaceships, or satellites, and I definitely did not expect the battlebots element. I think this design challenge had the most unique and interesting theme out of all of the past ones I have participated in. Once our team had understood the assignment, we divided ourselves into our best-fitting roles, such as engineer, programmer, designer, strategist, and project manager. One of our biggest challenges was that our team did not have a member who was well-versed in designing and engineering a robot to function well. We overcame this challenge by learning from many different teams and taking an idea from each of them. My highlight of the week was on Thursday when each team presented their robots and used the product of three day’s work to compete against each other. In short, I think that this year’s design challenge was one of the most successful out of the four I have participated in.
Emily Grade 8 Our best highlight was definitely seeing the robot come together and our code working the first time — even with all the challenges. Seeing it all come together the first time is very rewarding.
Design Challenge Overall Winners:
- Top Investment Pitch: MOON CLASH
- Excellence in Design: ASTRAGUARD
- Design Challenge Winner: AKIVA X