【Event Recap】The AHPS,HKCCCC edition of micro:bit Model Hovercraft Competition 2023-2024

The AHPS, HKCCCC Edition of the micro:bit Model Rocket Car Competition 2023-2024 was successfully held on March 27, 2024.Organized by The Association of Heads of Primary Schools (AHPS), The Hong Kong Council of The Church of Christ in China (HKCCCC) and Trumptech, this exciting competition garnered support and participation from 12 schools, witnessed over 100 primary school students building flexible hovercrafts and engaged in three major competition challenges with coding.

We are delighted and privileged to have Dr. Siu Ngok Huen, the President of Three Cares Education, as our esteemed guest for the award presentation. Dr. Siu extended his recognition and encouragement to the accomplished students who have excelled in the STEAM competition. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to CCC Heep Woh Primary School (Cheung Sha Wan) for their gracious provision of the venue and valuable assistance, which greatly contributed to the seamless execution of the competition and the success of the award ceremony.

Building an All-Round Hovercraft: Conquering Three Major Challenges

During the 3-hour competition session, students were required to undergo three rounds of challenges and strive to achieve the highest score possible! The competition consisted of the Speed Challenge, Rescue Challenge, and Cargo Lifter Challenge, which tested the hovercraft's abilities from different aspects. Each challenge has its own unique features, and participating teams need to achieve optimal performance through clever strategies!

Speed Challenge
The Speed Challenge tests the stability of the hovercraft during its navigation. Students need to ensure a balance in weight distribution on both sides of the hovercraft and adjust the left and right propellers to achieve equal wind speeds. Only then can the hovercraft travel in a straight line on the track, covering the shortest distance and achieving the highest speed possible.

Cargo Lifter Challenge
The Cargo Lifter Challenge tests the hovercraft's load capacity. To successfully transport objects, students need to consider whether the vibrations during hovercraft movement will cause the load object to fall off. Therefore, many participating teams cleverly designed cargo compartments on the hovercraft to secure the goods and minimize the risk of items falling off, thus avoiding point deductions.

Rescue Challenge
The Rescue Challenge tests the flexibility of the hovercraft. Participating hovercrafts need to depart from the base and navigate to six different rescue areas to earn points. Some of these rescue areas may have fenced perimeters and sandpaper surfaces, increasing the difficulty of hovercraft movement. Teams need to think about how to minimize friction between the hovercraft and the ground, allowing the hovercraft to escape from these rescue areas!

Practicing between each round of challenge

To enhance their performance, participating students diligently utilized the practice area between each round of the competition to test their hovercrafts and prepare for the next round. They took advantage of this time to fine-tune their hovercrafts, make necessary adjustments, and ensure they were fully prepared for the upcoming challenges.

Enhancing with Art: Creating the Most Eye-Catching Hovercraft

Art is an essential component of STEAM learning. In this competition, the Best Design Award was dedicated to recognizing the participating teams that put great thought into designing their hovercrafts. The creative hovercrafts showcased the fusion of art and science and amazed the judges during scoring!

The AHPS,HKCCCC edition of micro:bit Model Hovercraft Competition 2023-2024 - Winner list

Check out the event photos to feel the excitement of the competition!【Click here】