The Tech HEds team from Swindon won the Technical Design Award in the UK and Ireland final of the FIRST LEGO League Robotics competition in Birmingham on Saturday 2nd February.

Since September 2007, the team of seven home-educated young people (aged between 9 and 15) has built a robot using LEGO MindStorms and programmed it to carry out a number of missions. They also had to explain their robot to the judges, demonstrate teamwork and carry out a research project on the theme of sustainable buildings. The Tech HEds wrote a report on the Oasis Leisure Centre in which Council officers have shown an interest.

This is the third time that the Tech HEds have taken part in the UK Final. In 2005, they won awards at Swindon and the UK Final to qualify for a place at the Open European Championship.

As well as winning the Technical Design Award on Saturday, the team qualified for the quarter-finals of the robot game and finished in sixth place.

Four of the winning teams from the UK Final will be invited on to international competitions in Japan or the USA.

Check out the Tech HEds' website at <http://www.nwilts-he.org.uk/fll2007.htm>http://www.nwilts-he.org.uk/fll2007.htm.