On the 6th January 2018, IbnSina Mindcrafters ran its curriculum for the third time at the Islamic Center of New Mexico (ICNM), in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 14 children completed the curriculum which took place over 13 weeks. The curriculum was more streamlined, 7 weeks were dedicated to building the EV3rstorm robot and 6 weeks for the Robo-Olympics challenge.
The target age range for IbnSina Mindcrafters is 8-13 years, but in 2018 we had one 6 year old and three 7 year old students. The group consisted of five girls and nine boys; they were split into 3 teams: Fire Dragons, Robo Buddies and White Wolves. The group was taught by Rashad Hussain and Adnan Kasseem.
After the taught portion of the curriculum an updated Robo-Olympics challenge was released for the children to attempt. For the 2018 Robo-Olympics events where split into two categories. Category A events were: Shotput, 800M and Slalom, Category B events were: Maze, Hide & Seek and Writing. The Hide & Seek event was new for the 2018 and replaced the maze. The steeplechase was updated so that the teams selected the color of the brick to be transported and included a home base area where teams could interact with their robot.
Each team had to attempt a minimum of two Category A events and one Category B event. They could try more events but their final score was there total score from each event divided by three. Time limits were applied for all events and events had a different number of maximum attempts.
A further element was added for the 2018 Robo-Olympics, the teams were randomly assigned a number of 1, 2 or 3. The teams then chose from a bag of extra components that contained: Set of large wheels, set of medium wheels, touch sensor, color sensor, medium motor and large motor. The order of selection was determined by the number assigned and went Team1, 2, 3, 3, 2 and then 1. Having additional components would allow teams to build different robots and also accomplish events in a different way.
The Robo Buddies were assigned number 1 and selected the set of big wheels, the White wolves selected second and decided on using the medium wheels. The Fire Dragons selected the Color sensor and large motor. The White wolves selected the medium motor which left the touch sensor for the Robo Buddies.
These choices influenced the base robot for each team, the White Wolves and Robo Buddies decide to build a bespoke robot based on a two wheel and ball joint design. These robots are very small and are good at doing tight turns. The Fire Dragons decided to base their robot on the Track3r and have both color sensors attached to it.
All the teams decided to do the 800M and Shotput from Category A events, the White Wolves decided to also try and do the Slalom. The Robo Buddies decided on attempting the Hide & Seek Challenged while the other two teams selected the Steeplechase. To help with collecting the bricks for the steeplechase the White Wolves build the claw mechanisms from the Spik3r and the Fire Dragons used the claw form the Track3r.
On the 7th April the third Robo-Olympics was held, a fun packed and suspense filled morning took place. The 3rd Robo-Olympics was the first to be held outside of ICNM and was held at the Boys and Girls Club of Central New Mexico (BGCCNM). The teams from ICNM competed against the Gizmos and Gadgets team from the BGCCNM. The day did not start well for the White Wolves who dropped and broke their robot as they walked towards their first event. They recovered well to post the highest score for the Steeplechasee. The Fire Dragons left it late to post a solid score in the 800M and the Shotput. The Robo Buddies struggled with their events but did manage to get a good score for the Shotput. The stand out team were the Gizmo and Gadgets, they achieved the highest score for the 800M, Slalom and Shotput and the second best score for the Steeplechase
Scores for the 2018 Robo-Olympics
| Team | Event | Total Score | Final Score | ||||
| 800M | Slalom | Shotput | Steeplechase | Hide & Seek | |||
| Gizmos & Gadgets | 255 | 227 | 257 | 111 | 850 | 283.3333 | |
| Fire Dragons | 250 | 234 | 30 | 514 | 171.3333 | ||
| White Wolves | 10 | 10 | 201 | 182 | 403 | 134.3333 | |
| Robo Buddies | 190 | 125 | 25 | 340 | 113.3333 | ||
Team Gizmos and Gadgets were the winners of the 2018 Robo-Olympics, with the Fire Dragons coming in second place. The 1ST and 2nd place awards for the 2018 Robo-Olympics were presented by the 2017-2018 New Mexico FIRST Lego League (FLL) Regional Champions, HOT Squads. This team won the champions award for the state of New Mexico and were kind enough to present to the children about their experience in the FLL competition.
IbnSina Mindcrafters places a strong emphasis on promoting and rewarding good behavior during the course and the competition. Children are taught to compete in the spirit of friendly competition, to be respectful and helpful to other children and the instructors. The winner of the 2018 behavior award was Rubina from team White Wolves. The behavior award was presented by Carol Pierce, Director of Family and Community Services, City of Albuquerque.
