We are incredibly proud of our amazing team, the Stokane NS “Fossil Finders,” who recently competed — and won — the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Regional Final in Athlone! 🏆
After an early start and a train journey filled with excitement, teamwork, and a few last-minute strategy chats, the team arrived ready to take on the challenge. Their hard work, dedication, and months of preparation paid off in spectacular fashion as they impressed judges across all areas of the competition.
And the journey isn’t over yet — the Fossil Finders are now heading to the FIRST LEGO League National Final in Dublin this March!
About FIRST LEGO League 2026 – “Unearthed”
This year’s FLL theme, “Unearthed,” focuses on archaeology — exploring how we uncover, study, and protect evidence of the past. Teams were challenged to investigate real-world problems faced by archaeologists and design innovative solutions using science, technology, engineering, and teamwork.
The Fossil Finders embraced the theme wholeheartedly, choosing to base their project on the historic Rathmulcha Ring Fort in Castleconnor, an important local archaeological site.
Introducing the Digibot 3000
As part of their innovation project, the team designed and created a prototype of the Digibot 3000 — a robotic assistant built to help solve key challenges faced by archaeologists.
Archaeological digs can be delicate, time-consuming, and sometimes risky. The Digibot 3000 was designed to:
- Assist in carefully surveying excavation sites
- Reduce the risk of damage to fragile artefacts
- Improve efficiency in mapping and documenting finds
- Enhance safety for archaeologists working in difficult terrain
Through research, design sketches and a prototype, the Fossil Finders developed a creative and practical solution that impressed the judging panel.
Teamwork, Innovation and Core Values
FIRST LEGO League is about much more than robots. Teams are judged on:
- Innovation Project
- Robot Design
- Robot Game
- Core Values
The Fossil Finders demonstrated outstanding teamwork, problem-solving, resilience, and respect throughout the day in Athlone. From refining their robot runs to confidently presenting their project to judges, they represented Stokane NS with pride.
On to the National Final!
Winning the regional competition means the Fossil Finders will now compete at the National Final in Dublin this March, where they will take on the best teams from across Ireland.
We are incredibly proud of their achievement and wish them every success as they continue their FLL journey.
Best of luck to the Stokane NS “Fossil Finders” at FIRST LEGO League UK and Ireland 2026 — we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way! 🚀
