| Hydro Dynamics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Challenge Number | 18 |
| Released In | 2017 |
| Missions | 18 |
| Kids | 284,000[1] |
| Teams | 35,500 |
| Tournaments | 1,295 |
| Championship Tournaments | 166 |
Hydro Dynamics is the name of the 2017/18 FIRST Lego League challenge. It focuses on the water cycle and the ways in which humans can influence it.[2] Each event consists of two main portions: the project and robot gameplay. Teams have fewer than ten weeks to prepare for their competitions.[3]
Teams are invited to identify a problem in the human water cycle and examine it to determine the cause and current solutions that may exist. Teams then solve to the problem by improving on a previous solution or creating a new one. Teams finally create a presentation that describes their solution and how they reached it and present it to the judges at their competitions.[4]
The table performance portion of Hydro Dynamics is played on a 4 ft by 8 ft field covered in a plastic covering and rimmed by wooden boards. In order to compete in this portion, teams have to build a robot using a Lego Mindstorms robotics kit. During a competition, two fields are placed besides each other, with one robot competing on each field. Matches last 2+1⁄2 minutes and consist of a team's robot completing missions using pre-programmed instructions.[5]
The missions in Hydro Dynamics revolve around the purification, transportation, and use of water. A list of the missions and their point values is found below.[5]