Svampebobberne: Aarhus Talent Reaching New Heights

The SpongeBobs are a FIRST® LEGO® League team from Aarhus, made up of students from class 6.a at Strandskolen in Risskov. Last year they participated as a class team, but this year they took things a step further and signed up as a voluntary after-school team. They even approached the principal themselves to get permission to participate and secure Thomas as their coach. That dedication has paid off: in 2024 they placed 2nd in the Danish Finals, and this year they went all the way and became Champions at the Nordic Final.

Throughout the year, the team has represented Aarhus at Vilde Teknologier and the CND Conference, and their dedication is clearly reflected in the way they work with both robot design and innovation.

Their innovation project is based on marine archaeology, a field they became curious about after several visits to Moesgaard Museum. There they discovered that archaeologists spend many hours manually sorting sediment and artefacts. To solve this problem, the SpongeBobs developed a sorting machine that can automate the process. They sought and received feedback from both a marine archaeologist and an engineer—and improved their prototype based on the expert input. The result is a project that is relevant, realistic, and builds a bridge between technology and archaeology.

They are now ready to take this project even further. The team has already applied to participate in the World Festival in Greece.

A fun fact from the team:
“We’re called The SpongeBobs mostly because it’s such a silly name :-), but also because the first time we took part in FIRST® LEGO® League, the theme was Submerged. We immediately thought of SpongeBob, and everyone agreed it was perfect.”

Aarhus' tech talents deserve support

The journey of the SpongeBobs shows how much children can create when they have access to technology, guidance, and a strong local ecosystem. That’s why there is a need for companies willing to support the Aarhus local tournament in FIRST® LEGO® League—so that even more children can participate, develop their technological understanding, and discover their potential.

Companies wishing to contribute can help secure the next generation of Aarhus innovators, engineers, and problem-solvers. Feel free to reach out to Coding Pirates at kontakt@codingpirates.dk.