Rivals no problem for troubleshooters

KILLER COGS: Renee Greenslade, 11, Luke Fraser, 9, Benie Pettit, 10, Joel Hodgkinson, 11, principal Ed Hodgkinson, Carlos Thompson, 13, David Kelly, 12, Jodi Carter, 12, and Kiara Kurtz-Meads, 12.

Troubleshooters from Lakeview School seized trophies at the Masterton district EPro8 Challenge.

Lakeview School principal Ed Hodgkinson said the eight pupils who comprised the Year 5 and 6 and Year 7 and 8 teams would contest the regional semifinal heats of the EPro8 Challenge at Fergusson Intermediate School, Lower Hutt, on September 15.

The two teams competed against school teams from throughout the central Masterton district at Masterton Intermediate School last week.

"They made a pendulum, a crane, a swing and a Mars rover and our guys did really well, they were really quite cool," Mr Hodgkinson said.

The contest brings young minds to bear on engineering problem-solving and innovation in a series of practical challenges, which is captured in the title of the competition -- E for engineering, Pro for problem solving and 8 for innovate.

The contest is open to intermediate-age pupils in the greater Wellington region.

The top four teams from each district heat, including the Lakeview teams, qualified for the EPro8 Challenge semifinals.

The top four semifinalists in each of the two age grades will join battle at a grand final at Raroa Normal Intermediate School, Johnsonville, on September 23.

Teams tackle a series of progressively more difficult engineering and construction problems over four levels in a race to complete the tasks.

The teams must use maths, logic and experimentation to find solutions, which may lead to the construction of cranes or bridges or the use of simple electronic circuits to control machinery or other equipment.

A quiz section is also included and the teams must complete as many challenges as possible within the contest's three-hour time limit.

Mr Hodgkinson said all the equipment and parts needed for the contest had been manufactured using a 3D print, right down to the cog-wheel trophy presented to each district heat-winning team.