Modern Design Competition Allows Middle School Students to Invent and Patent their Own Creations

(From left to right) One of the 2015 runner-up teams, Braille Boys & Annie, the winning team, Team Storm, and the second runner-up team, LEGO Lions. Filing for a patent can be a daunting process: the paperwork involved is so loaded with legal jargon that hiring a patent lawyer or taking patent law classes is suggested; picking and choosing a filing strategy is often a confusing and expensive mess; even deciding which patent category your invention falls under can be bewildering. Bottom line: the patent process is a nightmare for an adult, let alone younger patrons. Fortunately FIRST--an organization dedicated to bringing STEM programs and activities to young students--is giving middle schoolers an opportunity to invent and patent their own designs without any of these obstacles. One of its four major programs, FIRST Lego League, has been bringing middle school students LEGO MINDSTORM technologies to design, build, and program autonomous robots since 1998. Quite recently, FIRST expanded the program with the FIRST Lego League Global Innovation Award contest, which gives Lego League teams the opportunity to create and submit their own invention. A team of expert judges had to narrow down the 500 submissions this past year to three finalists. These three teams had the opportunity to travel to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in Alexandria, Virginia for a special ceremony. Additionally, in order to further develop their inventions, the winning team received a $2...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news