Epro8

Epro8 is an engineering competition based around S.T.E.M. - science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Engineering, problem solving, and innovating make up Epro8 (E=engineering, pro=problem solving, 8=innovate) and are all significant areas you need to succeed in to do well in the competitions. Different areas in NZ do it differently, but the Manawatu region had an in-school competition, four inter-school semifinals, and a grand finale. 

Three year 7&8 Ōtaki College teams went and competed in the Levin Intermediate competition. The teams were No Name (Carys, Allie, Braxton, Scott), The Dogs (Manaia, Thomas, Fergus, Brooke), and my team, the Leaping Leprechaun Juniors (Arlo, Manase, Mia, Sam).

The Levin competition had four challenges which included a pendulum clock, rat wheel generator, car wash, and a stormproof classroom. Leaping Leprechaun Juniors started with the car wash, and then did the stormproof classroom. The Dogs started the pendulum clock but then changed to the car wash, and No Name completed the rat wheel. 

The car wash was a contraption that once finished, has a spinning brush that runs along the length of a cut-out car, and can track the car's position so it can move accordingly. As you may have inferred, rather than a car moving through the car wash, the car wash moves over the car. 

Most classrooms aren’t stormproof, which is why we had to make one. The finished classroom was 800mm tall and had an extendible lightning rod attached. The next step of the challenge involved a lot of maths, involving how sound travels, alongside some electronics to warn people about lightning.

The Leaping Leprechauns Juniors came away with 1st place and gained entry to the Grand Finals. No name came 2nd equal but unfortunately missed out on a place in the final after a quick 3 and a half minute tie breaker.

The Manawatu grand finale took place at Whakarongo School in Palmerston North. The theme for the challenges was arcade games, including Pacman, Space Invaders, Tetris, and Dance Dance Revolution. Pacman requires you to make a working Pacman that can pop balloons in its mouth, as well as move around, Space Invaders you have to build an invader that can move around in a certain pattern, and a weapon to attack it. In Tetris, you make a frame to hold all the different shapes, and a laser contraption to check how many shapes were in the top row. Springs were used in Dance Dance Revolution to create a platform with buttons you could press with your feet to simulate a simplified version of the original game.

The Leaping Leprechaun Jrs chose to do the Tetris challenge, and it was challenging, but they ended up figuring out the mechanism required to move the laser. Overall, everyone had a great time, and it was an interesting challenge to take part in.

By Arlo Matheson