Microbots

New FIRST LEGO League Season has begun

2010-09-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

Wow - it is hard to believe that the 2010 Body Forward™ Challenge has already begun. The Microbots signed up again this year and we are wondering how best to participate. Look for articles in BrickJournal magazine as we try to help teams with some of the issues that they face.

Issue 11 of BrickJournal starts our discussion of batteries. In part 1, we look at battery characteristics. In part 2 (slated for issue 12), we look at voltage and its effect on the robot.

We wish all of the teams who are participating in FLL the best of luck this year. We have heard that the challenge is really tough. Good luck to all!

The Microbots’ Robot Design

2010-06-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

Our robot design is built to traverse the uneven terrain found on the moon. The design in LEGO Digital designer shows the brick layout but several parts such as the wheels are not available in LDD. This design was selected for the maneuverability on the bumpy LEGO surface.

The robot has three sensors and a camera. On the right side is a compass sensor that allows more precise accuracy on turns. On the left side is a touch sensor to start the robot. There is a light sensor near the left wheel to allow the robot to understand when it has reached the Peak of Eternal Light.

The arm in front allows the robot to pick up the various items that it will be collecting along the way.

Zach

Tad
Gala

Microbots MoonBots Video Version 2.0

2010-06-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

Ta-da!

We know it won't count with the judges, but it's fun watching MoonBots videos, and we had some great ideas that we just didn't have time to put in our first video before the deadline! So here is Microbots MoonBots video essay version 2.0!

Hope you like it!

Go MoonBots!

Gala

BrickJournal Issue 10

2010-06-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

A new BrickJournal magazine comes out every two months with a Mastering FIRST LEGO League article. We wrote an article in this issue that discusses the various ways to turn the robot. This may sound easy but there are many different and interesting ways to turn the robot. Enjoy pictures of the various FLL teams that are included bimonthly in our column.

Who knows, maybe we will do an article on the MoonBots challenge.

Our Robot Design

2010-06-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Our robot design is unique in many ways. It can easily traverse the ridge while maintaining its alignment. It can pick up the elements, find its way to the various challenges, and use changes in the color of the terrain to position itself, while filming the whole thing. We put a quick video on our share which shows us testing it using bluetooth. We can't wait to get the obstacles and make it autonomous.

The MoonBots Challenge

2010-06-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

Phase I of the the MoonBots Challenge is finished and the theme of our research presentation was "A Cloud on the Moon". The following cover appears at the end of our video and shows a Microbot planting the Google flag on the moon. The video was shot at our FRC team HQ in Regency Park, a corporate office building in Cary, NC.

Our logo is the three Microbots that appears on the bottom of the magazine cover. The Microbots were built as LEGO structures and are standing on the grey plates that we used to test our robot design.

You can find many of the video pieces as well as the submitted video at http://microbotsmoonbotschallenge2010.shutterfly.com/ (look for Moonbots Video v05.wmv).

Our submitted video was posted on YouTube on May 28th (http://fllmicrobots.blogspot.com/2010/05/microbots-post-moonbots-research-video.html).

Go Microbots!

2010-06-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

You guys did an AWESOME job editing! I looked at some of the other MoonBots team videos, too, and they are a lot of fun to watch! There were a lot of great ideas, too, but I still like ours best!!!

I really like our awesome robot, too! Thank you Mr. Miller for letting us do this challenge, and giving us all the cool robot pieces and the awesome new program to edit our video! It was a lot of fun! You're awesome!

I hope we get to go to Phase 2!!!

Go Microbots!

Gala

End of Phase 1

2010-05-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

From the MoonBots blog:

Thank you all for all your hard work. The judges will be looking at your work over the next few days in order to decide the final 20 teams that will be moving on to Phase II. We will make an annoucement on or before June 21st.

Stay tuned. We hope you had fun and thanks again.

Like many of the MoonBot Challenge teams, we are eagerly awaiting the results of Phase 1. Will we be one of the lucky teams selected to move on? Looking around, there are so many good videos, web sites, and robot designs. Wow! So many teams worked hard to shine!

Our team is from three different areas of NC so it takes a lot of work to get together. But our parents were really cool. We met many times during the week and the weekend to get all of our video footage together.

Phase 1 closed Saturday morning at 2:59 am est. and Friday morning we still had a lot of editing. We had no idea how labor intensive the editing process would be. We spent the whole day trying to make our video exactly three minutes. It is amazing how much time that video editing takes.

Good luck to all of the teams! Being part of this competition was a lot of fun!

Tad

Microbots Post MoonBots Research Video

2010-05-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

Finishing Moonbots Phase 1

2010-05-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

It was so much fun making our video! Going over the video segments was a lot of fun, too! I'm really glad we planned it all out in advance though! I never would have guessed 3 minutes would fill up so fast!! I hope we get to move on to Phase 2 so we can use our bloopers in our Team Documentary! :P

I really hope we move on to Phase 2 mostly because I am really looking forward to programming our robot for the whole Challenge! I am totally excited about the camera and the compass! I have never programmed those components before and I think our newest build is totally ready for The Challenge!

I'm having a lot of fun! Thanks for inviting me to do Moonbots with you! Go Microbots!

Gala

Moving Forward With Moonbots

2010-05-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

We are moving forward with our work on the LEGO robot design and video presentation. The script is now completed and we start video today. Gala has done an awesome job in getting all of this together. We may go shoot it over at the Turtle Nest or at my house. I am installing Adobe Premiere on my laptop to get ready to edit all of the parts. I have been thinking about whether to add animation or compose the music behind the credits. We will see how much time that we have.

The robot is just about done. Our original design just didn't get over the ridge in the center of the map so we changed it up a bit.We now have the camera attached and will do some programming today as well. We still have a lot to do and not much time left. It always seems like our meetings fly by.

The team is having a really great time and is really working hard. Zack and I have known each other for four years and really like building LEGO robots. Gala was part of our FRC team and is an awesome programmer, researcher, and brings everything together. I feel like we have all worked together for a long time!

Microbots to do Moonbots

2010-05-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

A subset of the Microbots team is planning to do the Moonbots challenge.Right now, Tad, Zach, and Gala are signing up to build a robot to explore the moon's surface. This challenge is very similar to FLL.

We know that there is at least one other team from North Carolina. It should be fun to complete with them. Over the next couple of days, we will post our progress as we sign up for this marvelous challenge.

Tad (below) has begun to design the robot and all indications are that it will run on the rough surface that we will need to run on. There are no autonomous programs yet but using a bluetooth controller, we layed out a basic course for the robot. It can easier make its way through the obstacles.

Good luck to our fellow teams and we can't wait to compete with you (virtually) in stage 2 if we are invited.

First Lego League Expo at Crabtree Valley Mall

2009-09-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

Tom Settle is amazing when it comes to organizing First Lego League events. For those of you who don't know Tom, he teaches classes around the triangle for new First Lego League team members. To recruit new FLL teams in NC, Tom held a mock tournament at the Crabtree Valley Mall on Sunday 9/13. Hundreds of people showed up to watch and Tom explained how FLL works for five hours.

Tom asked several people from area teams to participate in this event, including members of the Microbots, Spacebots, Megallan Mariners, Metalic Waves, Tie-Died Tangerines, and others. Tom interviewed the teams and the coaches. Additionally, several team members from Team Awkward Turtle FRC showed up to referee the mock tournament. Several Microbots brought their robot and attachments, but boy, we really had no idea what to expect!

Early morning setup

The kids had a blast! It was not about winning and losing but just about having a good time. The Lego Store set up a booth and gave out information about the NXT. Several folks committed to forming new teams. Joe Meno took pictures for the upcoming Brick Journal. It was fantastic!

Afterwards, we went to the Kanki steakhouse with Al Childers, coach of the Magellian Mariners and Kyle Brown, coach of the Spacebots. I believe that these teams may be favored to win the NC FLL State Championship this year (but this should serve to motivate your team to knock them off :-)). Both coaches are veterans with wonderful teams.

Chris Childers had dinner with us and we finally got the opportunity to thank him for all that he had done to inspire us our first year. Chris has video of the young Microbots working with the 2006 NC FLL State Champion Magellian Mariners. I look forward to possibly posting it soon.

Mastering First Lego League Part 2: Calibrating the Robot

2009-09-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

This is the second in a series of articles about both basic and advanced techniques that can help your FIRST LEGO League team achieve mastery of the robot and the game. This article discusses the calibration of your robot as you prepare to solve this year’s challenges. It examines several aspects of robotics including the languages, drivers, motors, turns, and some of the elements that influence accuracy. In Part III of this on-going series, we will discuss the program framework, a necessary component for optimal robot running.

We finishing up the second installment of Mastering First Lego League for Brick Journal. This article also looks at things like batteries. We conducted a series of tests using Energizer Lithium Batteries. This article talks briefly about these tests and more tests will be forthcoming.

Mastering First Lego League

2009-08-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

This month's Brick Journal features the first part of a series of articles about First Lego League. Part I starts with the expected "What is First Lego League?" However, instead of the dry, marketing information that this sort article generally solicits, we talk about some of the intrinsic values that make an FLL team successful. We also talk about setting expectations properly in your first year.

Next issue's article in this same series talks about "Calibrating the Robot" which will be released just in time for competition. Look for articles in future Brick Journal magazines about practical techniques for YAMs (Young Adult Mentors), programming, building robots, and how to get ready for competition.

Crabtree Valley Mall Lego Store

2009-08-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

What does Raleigh, North Carolina have in common with Honolulu, Hawaii? They both have Lego Stores of course. If you have been following the Microbots, you'll see that they have been involved with the Crabtree Valley Mall Lego Store from its announcement. This month, we have a new announcement with respect to the Lego Store in Raleigh.

This month's community window features a First Lego Display that we put together. Among the displayed items is last year's North Carolina State Championship trophy. Additionally, you'll see our unique robot as well (trust me, it is one of a kind and way cool!). Stop by and check out the window in the back of the store.

By the way, we got the Smart Move challenge in the mail. It is too cool! Good luck to all of the teams this year! The Microbots are probably not going to compete. Some members seem to be moving on to FTC while others are moving on to FIRST with Team Awkward Turtle. But who knows, many a rock band has said that they are broken up only to have a reunion tour. Some of the team members are pursuing Smart Move just in case. We'll be at the Regional and State Championships either as competitors or volunteers.

Oh, and that is a gold NXT Brick! It was one of the things that made us stand out at the National Championship.

There is nothing micro about these bots

2009-05-12T04:45:00.000-07:00

We went to the First LEGO® League United States Open Championship in Dayton and we had a blast! We all got into the "busmobile" and drove up with Joe Meno on Wednesday. There was a huge Gameboy battle going on in the car as we all joined in and played. Once we got to the hotel, we went swimming and then to bed.

Thursday began with a practice in a conference room. We hadn't finished our second run and so we worked on it quite a bit. In the afternoon, we went to the Air Force Museum and saw the big airplanes. After a movie at the Imax, we went back to work practicing our runs. We were trying to get a 400!

On Friday, we were all tired from staying up way too late but we had to do our interviews. The research interview is our best so it was great that it was first. We thought that we did quite well and it gave us a lot of energy for the next one, the technical interview. We were happy with that one too. Finally, we had the teamwork interview and it was great too! Back to work on our runs.

On Friday night, we met with our alliance partners. We were all so tired and so we pretty much went to bed and let Rebekah organize the alliance runs. She worked with our two younger partners and really showed how we work. Clark and Benjamin went up to the rooms and got Mohawks to show their team spirit! We had to be our best for the runs on Saturday.

Our first run was 105 and it was great! We were getting 40s in practice so maybe we just set a low bar. The judges were very precise about the scoring rules so points were tougher to get. More work and the next run was 210. What an improvement! Our third run was a disappointing 150. It was ok though, we never gave up! Patrick gave it everything that he had to get Joe (our robot) back on track.

Finally, it was time for the awards. All the research awards were given out and we didn't win one. They were down to two categories, teamwork and overall.

"This home school team might not be large in numbers, but their team strength is not micro. Their vacuum cleaner team activity even passed dust particles from member to member. Team work demonstrated fluid movements with high energy with little effort."

We knew when they talked about our vaccuum cleaner (this was our team project) that we had gotten first place in the teamwork category! It was great! What a terrific end to the season!

It was a great tournament! We felt that it was our responsibility to represent our state the best that we could through gracious professionalism. We also wanted to get a 400. We did get our 400, not on the table, but in the teamwork. There isn't a better 400 than that!

The tournament was so well run and organized! Thank you Kathy Levine and Joe Meno! Thank you to our alliance partners! Thanks to all of the teams and staff that made this so memorable!

Go Big Red

2009-05-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed spending time at the U.S. Open National Championship with our alliance partners, the Lightning Stars(Omaha, NE) and the Wagga Wagga Warriors(Oak Ridge, TN). We learned so much from you and you both define the spirit of gracious professionalism! Thank you so much for cheering for us and coming over to see us after the awards! You are truly great teams! Please keep in touch!

Go Big Red!

Your friends,
The Microbots
(Rebekah, Zach, Patrick, Benjamin, Clark, and Tad)
PS Thank you Magellan Mariners for teaching us (during our first year) the right way to run an alliance round. We didn't win but we had more fun than any other alliance partnership. We hope that we correctly passed on the lesson to our alliance partners.

Representing North Carolina

2009-05-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

Perhaps nothing is more wonderful than receiving the support of our fellow FLL teams from North Carolina. We are heading to Dayton in three days and several teams from our state sent us emails wishing us luck! We thank them for all of their kind words and for taking the moment to wish us well. They truly define gracious professionalism and the FLL values! We would not be the team that we are if it were not for the excellence of our peers in NC. Thank you again for setting such a great example and for the friendly competition and cooperation. You have made the 2008-2009 FLL season stellar!

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Go get 'em Microbots!

Thanks for the update, Mike. We'll be praying not only that you represent NC well, but especially bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ in how you conduct yourselves.

In His service,

Ken - Techno Alliance

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _

Good Luck to the Microbots at the U.S. Open National Championship! It sounds like your hard work and determination have paid off! We're proud to have you represent NC! Have a fun and safe trip!

Mayberry Maniacs I and II
Karen T. Hodges, Coach
J. Sam Gentry Middle School
Mount Airy, NC

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
On behalf of the Terminators, the SmartBots, and We the People, and all of us FLL-types at the Scholars' Academy, good luck to the Microbots.

************ ********* ********* ********* *****
David Johnston
Technology Administrator
Metrolina Regional Scholars' Academy

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

Good luck from the Magellan Mariners! Be sure to send some photo and place you 400 on YouTube! The kids (and many others) would love to see it.

Best of luck,
Your Magellan Mariner Friends
Al, Eric, Chris and the rest of the gang.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

GOOD LUCK!!!

And have FUN! What a great finale for your team!! NC is behind you every LEGO brick of the way : )

Keeps us posted on how it all transpires!
Marie Hopper

Latest Video

2009-05-01T20:02:00.001-07:00

Getting Ready for the U.S. Open Championship

2009-04-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

With only a week to go until we leave for Dayton, the Microbots are in crunch mode. Having completely redesigned the robot, the team had to redo all of the programs. Next week, we will pile into a large van with Joe Meno and the coaches and travel to Dayton. For those that want to join us, you can get more information here.

See you there!

NXT version 2.0

2009-04-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

In Atlanta, we saw the new version (2.0) of the NXT kit. With registration just around the corner (Registration will open on May 4, 2009!), I wonder if the new cool parts will be part of the Lego Education kit. It would be cool if they were in there too!

This is the new robot that looks like the old one but better!

FLL Videos from the World Festival

2009-04-23T05:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos from the NXT booth at the World Festival in Atlanta

Something to Remember

2009-04-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

On December 5th 2008, our FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team won our state’s competition. Unfortunately North Carolina didn’t qualify for the automatic bid to the World Festival in Atlanta, where FLL teams from all around the world compete. We also didn’t get chosen for the Ambassador’s Award, which is another way teams get chosen to compete in the World Festival. Initially we were disappointed. However we did receive an automatic bid to the first ever FLL United States Open Championship in Dayton, Ohio on May 7th to 9th and we’re very excited about competing there.

In the three days we are there, we will compete in the same events that we did in the state competition. In the research presentation, we will do a skit about water conservation in Cary NC, and Brisbane AU, show off our Lego H2O house, and talk about our other numerous research topics like our website, outreach and stop motion movie. In the technical interview we will explain to the judges how we cleverly came up with our robot design, run our robot, and describe our programs. In the teamwork interview, which is the last interview on Friday, a judge will ask us a few questions about how we work together as a team and then he/she will we give us a challenge to complete. Finally, in the robot missions on Saturday, we will run our robot on the table in an attempt to get a 400 point score in under two and a half minutes. We’ll have three tries. The competition culminates with the Award Ceremony.

In the competition we will do lots of other things besides compete. The pit pod is where our team and five other teams will rest and store our equipment. We will dress for the event by putting on our vivid orange and blue Microbots shirts and blue Microbots hats. Some of us will daringly sport Mohawks and dye our hair! Some teams are planning a scavenger hunt that we can do while we are resting in our pit pod. We will hand out and trade team buttons. Excitedly, we will tour the National Museum of the United States Air Force, which is open after hours for just FLL teams. We will also have a pizza party.

It will be something to remember!!!

Spotlight on One Great Builder (and Animator too)

2009-04-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

We haven't spotlighted the various Microbots in this blog but it is time to give credit where it is due. While each of the Microbots brings their own special talent to the team, Clark I. has built many of the Microbot's robots and quite a few of the attachments. His work continues to get more and more complex.

Clark has emerged as a leader on the team. His title is the "Sergeant at Arms" of the Microbots. The title comes from various law making bodies, where the role is charged with maintaining security in the law making establishment, as well as protection of the law makers themselves. I am not sure how he came to have this title but it is one that all Microbots know and respect.

The robot below was built at his birthday party, a sleep-over, and the video was made showing its movement.

He has also produced the following videos:

Perhaps his best work is:
what your legos do when your not looking

Look for more of his work - coming soon!

Greetings from Atlanta

2009-04-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

April 15th is usually known as Tax Day in the United States but it also marked the opening on the 2009 World Festival in Atlanta. We arrived early Wednesday morning. The taxi driver on the way from Hartsfield airport told us he had been told to expect 60,000. As we got out of the taxi and looked at the World Congress Center, we wondered how they would be able to fit 60,000 in the center.

When we arrived, the place was empty. The robots were tucked away in their cabanas. Since we didn't know where the conference was, the robots were no help.

We were looking for someone to tell us if the lack of people had something to do with the economy. We finally came across a man who looked a little down on his luck so we decided to ask him.
"Where is everyone?"
He was reluctant to answer. No wonder he was sitting on a park bench.

We finally found someone who could help us. It's the information guy from FIRST! We were glad to see him and he seemed glad to see us.
"Where is everyone?"
"The conference doesn't start until 3pm!"

Wow! Were we early. But it was well worth it!

Who says kids must do the work? (Lego Store Work Part 2)

2009-04-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Building the models for the Lego Store is hard work as several of the Microbot parents learned first hand. The custom pool scene comes complete with various characters lounging around a pool.

The Lego scenes appeared to be easy but as we know in First Lego League, simple appearances can be deceiving. The Lego store party invited both parents and children to build the custom Legos. Kate I. jumped in and helped out. The result was this awesome pool scene. But where is the pool?

The pool was the last part to be built and so Daved S. gave it a shot. The directions were not for a single piece but for multiple layers in each shot. David gave up after spending a half hour on it.

In jumped Mr. Fix-It and Joe Meno and the pool finally came together.

Preparation for the Lego Store opening

2009-04-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today the Microbots united once again to help Lego with its new store which is soon to open in Raleigh, North Carolina. While the Microbots were not the only children present they were never hard to find as they were flashing their classic Microbot orange t's. Hard at work building away at whatever they can get their hands as the room was filled with excitement.

Though building new and exciting sets never seen before was certainly a highlight they are always gracious to help others. A group of five children similar in age to the team from a local montesorri school showed an interest in what the Microbots were all about. Never wasting time to share and speak out they quickly assembled into their groups and held an open question and answer session about First Lego League. The childrens eyes widened as the conversations intensified about competition and all the details on how to prepare. Though shocked at first at the amount of time and work the Micorbots put in this will surely be yet another group of kids who will assemble and become a team representing the Tar Heel State.

Summer Camp

2009-04-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Last year, several of the Microbots went to two weeks of Summer Camp at Cary Academy. Those who went said that it was really worth it so here are the dates in case you are interested...

Robotics with Lego Mindstorms - Beginner 320.510 July 6 - July 10 9am - 4pm 4th - 7th 15
Robotics with Lego Mindstorms -Intermediate 321.610 July 13 - July 17 9am - 4pm 4th - 7th 15
Robotics with Lego Mindstorms - Advanced 322.710 July 20 - July 24 9am - 4pm 5th - 8th 15

The Richmond FIRST Regional

2009-04-05T15:51:00.001-07:00

Coach Medina and Coach Miller took a couple of us to the FIRST Regional in Richmond. It was the first time that we had the opportunity to go to "the pits", interact with a FIRST team during competition, and see victory and defeat. Our mentor, Tatiana, is part of the team. FRC is a different game than FLL. There are three winners, not one and teams must work together, even if they face each other in the next round.

Coach Miller worked with Team Awkward Turtle because their programming coach left during the season. He worked with the programming team to support them as they wrote the code that drives the robot. As a result, he learned all about the "FRC game". His impression was that "FRC teaches some really good values. Teams help each other, share ideas, and always compete in alliances." It is less individualistic than FLL.

FRC is much tougher than FLL. Building the guts of the robot requires so much more work that building an NXT. Can the Microbots do it? I don't know but I do know that I want to begin to learn how.

Meeting with Joe Meno

2009-04-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

Joe Meno is the editor-in-chief of Brick Journal. He also lives in the Raleigh area. On Friday, March 13th, at Colonial Baptist Church, the Microbots, Zachary P.(a friend of Joe's), and Joe Meno got together to discuss Lego Robotics. Joe showed us the very latest in NXT technology. He also loaned us a very special NXT brick for the National competition (you can see it at Nationals - trust me, it is "the bomb"). Although we saw the black one, this one is even more special than that one. :-)

Joe talked about his projects including building a multi-NXT arm in which the NXTs communicate. He spoke about his role covering the World Championship and what it is like to run the world's coolest magazine. The kids looked through his extensive photo collection at the various models and upcoming sets. The Microbots didn't want the night to end.

He also suggested that there might be a forthcoming interview of the team. He also invited them to the Lego building party for the new Lego Store in Raleigh. Joe, You Rock!

From Sadness to Gladness

2009-03-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Middle Creek Community Center is Offering FLL Classes again and they are almost Sold Out - Sign Up Now and tell Tom that the Microbots sent you!

Introduction to FIRST LEGO League (age 8-14)

FLL is an international competition held every year to get students excited about learning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. In this course students will have the opportunity to try out the previous year’s robot challenge and project. They’ll learn teamwork, problem solving, programming, and a variety of information about our climate. This class will meet for a fraction of the time required during a normal season to give the students a taste of the competition without the full commitment.

Location: Middle Creek Community Center

Instructor: Tom Settle

Fees: $60(R) $78(N) (6 classes)

Age 8-11

39557 Sat Apr 4-May 16 10 a.m.-noon

(no class Apr 11)

Age 12-14

39558 Sat Apr 4-May 16 10 a.m.-noon

(no class Apr 11)

Coach Miller To Present at 2009 FIRST Robotics Conference

2009-03-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

We will likely have all of the Microbots at the World Congress in Atlanta (even if we do not get an invitation). We had 2/3rds of them there last year!

Make plans to be in Atlanta for Wednesday, April 15th through the weekend. Hope to see you there!

Look for us at the conference, the FLL championship (hanging out with Joe Meno), or the FIRST Championship (with Team Awkward Turtle, our FIRST buddies - go Turtles - win the Richmond Regional!). We'll be wearing the orange Microbots T-shirts or maybe even a FIRST shirt!

From the 2009 FIRST Robotics Conference

The Pragmatic Use of Variables in FLL

Randy Miller

One of the rubric questions for First Lego League asks about the ability of team members to use variables if applicable. In our rookie year, we did not use any variables and could not see a need for them. However, as we progressed, we asked ourselves, “What can a variable be pragmatically used for in NXT/G and FLL?”This year’s challenge had an obstacle perfectly suited for variables, Find Agreement. We initially solved this challenge using variables but found a quicker, more efficient way to solve the challenge using an attachment. Even so, we found some interesting ways to use variables to solve common FLL problems as well as some limitations to the use of variables in NXT/G. This session will explore the inner workings of variables in NXT/G. It will show common ways to solve problems in FLL using these programming constructs. It will also show some things that will not work but look like they should. We end with a set of tips and tricks as we realize that many have had difficulty figuring out how they work.

Microbots Appear Again on YouTube

2009-03-12T14:14:00.001-07:00

What to do?

2009-03-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

Wow - it has been a fantastic year and we are getting prepared for the National Championship in May. The robot has been totally redesigned and Clark's new invention surpasses all that have gone before. He and Tad continue to design new attachments.

Meanwhile Patrick and Rebekah have started the unenviable task of building new programs. The run sequence has changed and so must the programs. Finally, Zach and Benjamin have examined the troubling task of how to fit it all into 2.5 minutes. Coach Medina has given them three weeks to get it all done.

We continue to debate whether we should begin FIRST next year. The team is really young so it might be too early. However, the team continues to impress me with their building and programming skills. FTC might also be an option. Oh, and then there is First Lego League again. Decisions, decisions...

Water For Tomorrow

2009-03-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

Astronomy Days

2009-01-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in First Lego League, come see our demonstration on Saturday, January 24, 2009 noon –5 pm and Sunday, January 25, noon–5 pm at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. We will be there on Saturday and the Spacebots will be there on Sunday. If you stop by on Sunday, say hello to Coach Kyle Brown. Tell him that we sent you :-) The museum holds a First Lego League demo every year during Astronomy Days.

The NC Rookie Challenge

2009-01-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

The NC State tournament was actually two tournaments: the NC State Championship and the NC State Rookie Challenge. In the NC State Rookie Challenge, only rookie teams could win. The NC State Championship was held in December while the Rookie Challenge was held January 10th. We volunteered to help out with the second tournament since we could not compete in it and frankly, we still haven't gotten enough of First Lego League.

We saw some very impressive rookie teams including The Barracudas, a team that built a folk lift robot, and won 1st place for their Innovative Design. It was unlike any other robot that we have ever seen. Clark noticed it first and said “Wow – I don’t think that we could have built something like that our first year!”

Another rookie team, Mechanical Mayhem, pulled a 235 on the robot challenge. They were a home schooled team and we asked Coach Brown (of the Spacebots) about how much time they had put into getting such a high score (and learning NXT/G). He said, “Probably as much time as you did.” They won two trophies (Robot Performance and Robot Quality) their first year! Unreal! I know it is the rookie challenge but they could have gotten third place on the table with that score in the State Championship! How about that?

Another impressive rookie team was The Charlie Bytes. We had talked to them about possibly helping them out during the season as they said that they felt that they were having trouble. We could never find a time that worked out. No trouble there except for other teams! They won a first place trophy.

Finally, we met Chris of the Magellan Mariners (see Brush with Greatness) who had a video clip of our team and his in the alliance round on his phone. We were soooo small!

Marie Hopper and Tom Settle did a great job organizing this tournament! They have definitely become new friends of the Microbots. What a great day we had! Tad said, “I want to volunteer to help out with the Rookie Challenge again next year!”

FLL Competition Day

2008-12-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hi this is Tad. On Saturday morning I woke up at 7:00 at the Greensboro Embassy Suittes. My dad had the wrong time and thought it was only 6:30! So mom hurried me out of bed and I felt like a race car in the pit that morning. Because I woke up late, I was forced to get dressed immediately and then, I was rushed downstairs to try to eat some breakfast. That morning I did not eat much, I was too excited.. After taking a couple bites of my ham omelet, I was rushed with the team to the car. It was also really freezing outside, below 30! Then we got to competition. It was at the Greensboro Colliseum. The FLL State Championship!

The first thing we did was lots of serious practice on the robot runs. Suddenly, it was already time for the Technical Interview at 8:40 am! It went really well and everyone had something to say. After technical we still were tweaking our programs and had another practice. Then we had our favorite part, the Presentation, which went super great! I can't wait to see the video that Mr. Ivers took. Still tweaking our programs, we had another practice. Then we had the Team Building exercise and, at the end the judge said we nailed it. We were so happy! Then we had our last practice on our robot runs which was actually on the table that we would be running the robot for real on.

After lunch in Mr. Whipkers van (Subway outside!) we started running the robot for real. Our first run, which went very good, gave us the most points. We then watched the other homeschool teams the Spacebots and the Technoalliance and cheered them on alot. The second run, which was not as great as the first one, did not give us any more points. And the last run gave us little I think 220 points. But the judges seemed very happy with us also and talked alot to everyone, said it was great that we tried the house. We were the only team that attempted to do the house. We had so much fun and I wanted to stay on the floor much longer! It goes by so fast.

After all the robots runs were done, we had 30 minutes to play, relax, snack, and have fun with everyone. Then, the award ceremony started. The award ceremony took forever to introduce everyone. There were so MANY teams! Every team that competed got cool medals and I think Rebekah or Zach asked if we could get some extra medals for the coaches too. The Microbots finally got called out to parade in, and the team carried me in holding the sign that Mrs. Medina made! Everyone cheered and I could see our family and friends doing our silly Manamanama "team song". It was so great!

Finally, it was time to get to the special FLL trophies. We were all so nervous. At one point, Patrick said he was almost sure we would get a trophy in robot runs because we were second after Magellan in points. Then all the sudden the team started standing up and I was thinking "What are they doing?" then Patrick said we won a trophy for robot runs. I did not even hear the judges call us. We were so happy! Magellan won the first place for robot runs with their amazing score.

After they gave us that 2nd place trophy for robot performance, we were going to get a some pictures taken in the back stage area. But then suddenly, one of the judges came out of nowhere and said to us and the picture people "I really think they could get the pictures taken later, you guys should go back to the award ceremony right away". We knew the awards were almost done. Only maybe one or two to go, and then the FLL NC State Championship Award! So then I was so super excited that we maybe would win something else? Maybe another trophy for the Microbots? We went running like crazy back to our spot on the floor.

After about 10 minutes of awarding more trophies, they got to the BIG one. Then the judges announced 2nd place of the whole competition. It was all a big blur. I could not breathe. Then the judges said they said first place goes to the team who made a website, had business cards, designed a Lego Water-Efficient house defined the Core Values so well and my heart was racing like crazy. We were all clutching each other! Then they said this award goes to: Team 262, The Microbots!! Then I sprang up and ran with my team mates to get that big trophy! It was the most cool moment ever.

They took lots and lots of official pictures with our team, and then we all took lots of other pictures with our friends and our family. We could not believe it. I still can't believe it. We really did it! We won the FLL State Championhip! We are the Champions! Saturday was the best day ever of my life! It was a such a great year. I though sometimes I would burst from everything we learned from studying climate connections and from all those late nights at the Spains! Most of all though, we always had so much fun with our great coaches and our great team. Our families worked so hard to help us have the time to really go the distance on our project. Our coaches never gave up on us even though we had some very hard times. It was all worth it. I would do it again and work even harder if I had to.

Saturday ended and we all went back to the hotel with the whole team and had a little party and another team, known as the Spacebots came and joined us. Mr. Jared came and brought us some special dinner in the crock pot. We even ordered pizza and chinese food. We were all so tired and so happy. Thank you to everyone for your help this year. We have so many awesome people to thank that helped us and guided us this year in Cary and in Brisbane. Thank you MICROBOTS you are the best. Thank you Coach Medina and Coach Whipker for always believeing in us and challenging us to finish our work. Thank you daddy, Coach Miller. I love you. I can't wait to see what we will decide to do next. I think 2009 will be a very special year!

Priceless

2008-12-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

About a year ago to date an email went out to all the Microbot families warning them to start packing for Atlanta as their beloved children were showing strong signs of being able to win their FLL state championship.

With only two years of experience the children were fixed on getting started almost as soon as the 2007 season was over. They started working in late January to early February of 2008 and never looked back. They researched, studied, programmed, took courses at their local community college and put in a lot of their time, and not to mention their parents, coaches and siblings time as well.

The end result to this year Climate Connection topic? A second place trophy for robotic performance, an award rightly given due to the fact that they ranked #2 throughout the entire tournament. Their interviews for Team work, Technical and Research were all solid and well performed. So as awards were continued to be announced and handed throughout the evening it came down to the last two. The 1st and second place Champion award trophy for overall performance.
The end result............The Microbots took first place.

While one might ask or jest at how such a group of young children lead up to winning a first place trophies three consecutive years, plus an overall Champion award on their third year? The secret in fact is no secret at all. Hard work is the proven tried and true method of success.

This was not a right to win but earned through the time given to perfect and make right.
In the end, just one day removed from this momentus day for all our children there is only one thing this dad can say.
Three years, 2 first place trophies a second place robotic performance and a Champion award............PRICELESS!!!

Coach Medina

The Last Week Rush

2008-12-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, only 2 more days before our North Carolina State Championship competition, and we have suffered from what I call "Last week rush." The last week rush is where you have still not completed everything that you wanted to complete and are now attempting (with only a few days left) to finish it all. Nerves are breaking, sleep is being lost, and tempers are flaring. This has happened to us the last two seasons, and in our first year, we where still solving challenges the night before! Our goal this year was to make a 400 run by November 1 and then do Time trials up until competition. Well, it's 2 days before competition, we are doing time trials, but with a 385 point run that was completed just yesterday. It's hard to finish beforehand, I admit, but it saves everyone a whole lot of headaches, and you actually look forward to competeing, and don't feel so burnt out. Sometimes I guess, you have to take what's given to you, and make the best of it, but man, will I be glad when this last minute stress is over! Can't wait for Saturday!

How To Successfully Coach a FLL Team

2008-11-22T14:40:00.001-08:00

Our robot affectionately named Robbie has crashed. The left button is now stuck on even though it is brand new. As a result, it cycles through the menus and will not run our completed programs. I am sure it is still under warrantee but it is two weeks until competition and our backup robot runs the programs differently.

So what is a coach to do? Two weeks until competition and all of the programs have to be rebuilt? Coach Medina and I have become accomplished ping pong players. At first, he beat me regularly but I have started to "give him a game". Since the Microbots do the work, we lamented over Robbie and buried him (sent him back to the manufacturer). Then we got back to our ping pong games as any third year coach would do.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going! We coaches played some our best ping pong games. Coach Medina is up two games to one at the present time. There was a time when I couldn't win. Meanwhile, the Microbots are back to the drawing board. Doing what they always do.

Growth and Learning....

2008-11-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

FIRST LEGO League is all about the kids – learning, applying what was learned, growing and having fun. But as our State Competition draws near and we enter Thanksgiving week (also known among the Microbots as Microbot Bootcamp week), as all the kids and coaches and parents get ready for the last push of a very intense fall, and as we all just keep saying “we just need to hold on until December 7th and then we can sleep” it’s good to step back and look at what the year’s been about.

I’ve been especially amazed by the growth in the kids this year. What they’ve accomplished this year on all fronts they couldn’t have even dreamed of last year – or come close to even imagining their first year in FLL!

We’ve seen the growth physically – from deepening voices to acne breakouts, bigger feet, kids who can look me in the eyes, the need for deodorant, and brains that shut off and fall asleep as their bodies focus on growing.

We seen growth in general knowledge and learning – huge leaps in skills in robot engineering and design, programming, researching, and writing; learning new skills like website design and survey development; conquering computer applications like PowerPoint, Word, Photoshop, and Kompozer; making full use of online tools like SurveyMonkey, NING, Noodlebib, Writeboard and Lego Digital Designer (whose capacity really maxes out with a 3000 piece design set).

There has been huge growth in team work – understanding how to brainstorm positively, how to communicate as a team online, by phone, and in person throughout the week, week after week, how each individual piece of the puzzle has to fit together to make a much bigger whole, how to work individually, in pairs, in threes, and as an entire group, how to fill in for each other when things fall apart, how “Noob” may be a positive phrase or a negative phrase.

In the specific research project they’ve chosen, they’ve also grown in long term more intangible knowledge and skills – how small the world really is as they watched their website statistics count up the visitors from state after state to continent after continent, how they can make a difference globally as people responded about water issues from all parts of the globe, how they can write emails to large, anonymous websites for permission to use photos and get real people answering them with positive encouragement and enthusiasm, how they can talk to state legislators about different issues and have them listen.

And in long term individual organizational skills, they’ve each learned a lot this year about how important the tiny details are in research and programming, how to push on when they get tired, how to follow through to the end after deciding to aim extremely high in both research and programming, how to keep going the direction they need to head despite the differing opinions of the coaches, and how to work with deadline after deadline in an almost overwhelming process.

These kids are just 11, 12 and 13 but because of their team work, their spirit, and their unflagging friendship and desire to work and play together day after day, week after week, they have the (almost always!) unflagging support of 12 parents and 8 tag-along siblings as they keep moving forward. I doubt that any of the parents or coaches could keep up the pace if it wasn’t for the desire, the growth, and the huge benefits we see that these 6 kids gain from each other and the FLL projects. Growth can be painful, frustrating and hard sometimes but it can also be a beautiful thing to watch and be a part of!

Now… to just push on for the next 2 weeks to try to get everything done before competition…!!!!

Mrs. W (Research Coach)

About Research

2008-11-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

We have two FLL seasons under our belt, and better yet, two first place trophies, both in Research. The research project is often overlooked, and the Unofficial Guide to First LEGO League said that it was "easy" and a "science project". To whoever is reading this post, the writer(s) of this book must not have seen and/or made a research project in the last 4 years. The team went to the 2007 world championship in Atlanta, Georgia, and was blown away by the size and quality of the competing teams research presentations. This year we are literally blowing our minds trying to compile pages and pages of research on an extremely tight schedule. This is neither easy nor insignificant.

Much of the thanks for our research success should go to our research coach, who has a flair for organization and heavy duty research, and I am NOT kidding! She has kept us in line and put up with us for almost 3 years, and we haven't done bad. Her oversight has really made our projects what they have been. From what I have learned in these 3 years, here are 3 keys which I feel are important to having a competitive project.

The first key to success is that the judges like to see that a team compiled a lot of research. Last year when we won first place in research, we gave them about a 100 page book with a complete bibliography, a DVD from some of our field trips, and a summary of all the research we did.

The second key to success is to have a creative presentation. The judges that are watching you have dozens of teams ahead of them, and they won't give you high points unless they stay with you. Teams must have a creative presentation to keep them focused and listening to your research. Having lots of good research is nothing if the judges shut down their brains and don't hear a thing you say.

The final key to success is taking what you have learned, and affecting the community with it. Teams have gone to worlds because of the way they have impacted the community with their presentation, and the judges where really impressed. Part of the challenge this year is sharing the things we have learned! Last year we had to take what we learned from our energy audit that we made, and make recommendations to the building we audited.

Again, completing all this is NOT easy. The project this year is the toughest we have ever done. But it is important in order to win, to score high on the presentation. Got research?

Time Out

2008-11-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

After burning the candle heavily every weekend, Coach Medina has decided to take the Microbots bowling on Friday night. Friday is usually spent conducting research with Coach Whipker during the day and on the table in the evening. Many a Microbot has been burned out by 6pm after an intensive day of research. Thursdays and Saturdays are the more productive days on the table (yes, we meet three days a week).

The Microbots have been working on Robotics all year since our first year. It started with a single pair of programmers, two or three builders, and a run team of two people. We are a different team than we were when we first started. Every member of the team can program, build, or run the robot. They have really evolved from the young people that were overwhelmed by the competition to team members that like to meet and work together.

They have decided to go for it this year but there are many other very capable teams. The North Carolina State Championship, like many other states, is a very competitive FLL event. We are part of the 80 teams that will compete this year. Over the past two months, we have had team members sleeping during practice, fighting through colds, and working on their “day off”.

To reward them for their hard work, and prepare for the last month, we will go bowling instead of practicing. They certainly deserve the break.

Crunch Time

2008-10-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

The 2008 North Carolina FLL season is 2/3rds complete. We are one month away from our State Championship. It is officially crunch time! It is interesting because we are taking tonight, Halloween off. The stress of the first two months was incredible but I feel like the coaching staff and the team is seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

We have come to realize that FLL is not a competition against others although we will we compete against others. It is a competition with ourselves. As a third year team, we know what is expected to be competitive. Can we achieve all that we wish to? We can only hope so.

We continue to learn through research, robot building, programming, and running. We don't have all of the answers, even after three years. But we aren't the naive team that we were three years ago either. I suspect that there are many better teams out there. Our job is not to worry about them but to worry about bettering ourselves.

To the Newbies

2008-10-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

As one of the coaches for the Microbots I have had the privilege of witnessing first hand brilliance in the making. To see these children three years ago, youngest starting some where in the realm of age nine to where they are today is simply remarkable. They have learned so much and have worked so hard that words do not suffice to help describe the joy it gives a dad/coach.

From complete strangers to best of friends who could have picked a better group as fate guided their hands as they picked names out of a hat. Their common ground, Friday night Lego practice is what they will say, work will certainly find its way into second place as friendship, companionship and camaraderie will crown. With a third year already in the making there are certainly no gurantees of its outcome, but one thing will continue to ring true, they will have fun, and there will be lots of laughter to follow.

Coach Newb

The Hardest Challenge

2008-10-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

This year's challenge could actually be the hardest that any FLL team has ever faced. Climate Connections is deceptively hard and perhaps even harder than the challenges of previous years. In North Carolina, our state championship is December 6th so teams have effectively three months to solve the challenge and create a research project. Many other states conduct regional championships in early January with a state championship at the end of January. The result is a more difficult state championship with more teams and less time. This can be viewed in one of two ways. The first is the pessimistic view which says that it isn't enough time and the chances of winning are smaller. The other is optimistic view which says if it is hard for us, it also hard for the other teams. Let’s go win!

This year, the North Carolina State Championship is limited to 80 teams. We think that we made the cut for the championship but we won't know for sure for a couple more days. 80 teams is probably the most that can fit in a single day of competition. There is a rookie competition for the first year teams in early January. It seems like it is right around the corner!

We expect tough competition from both teams that we know and the teams that perhaps are new to FLL. We wish all of the teams competing in this tournament the best of luck! First Lego league is not easy and very few of the 80 NC teams will go home with a trophy.

We thank James T. and Kyle B. for helping us to gather 6 strangers who work well together, who have worked hard this year, and who will be competitive. In talking to other teams, this is the real hard challenge. Go Microbots!

It is really hard

2008-09-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

First Lego League appears deceptively easy at first, but when you get into it, it is a lot harder. Lego's are easy to build, so people would think that the challenges are easy to. The challenges are built to be hard. They often put things in the corner or put one challenge in front of another. This makes a seemingly easy challenge harder.

I've been part of lego league for three years. The first year we would go out and do a single challenge. We were lucky if it worked. That year, when we did our challenges, our robot runs weren't very accurate. The second year, we tried to do at least two challenges per run and we tried to not to make too many turns. Now, we are in the third year and we are doing multiple challenges per run. It has been working pretty well.

We started when we were pretty young. Our oldest player was eleven and some of us were nine. The original team is still together and really like each other. There is a lot of respect among the team members. Every year, we have gotten better. In our first year, only Patrick could program. In our second year, more of us could program. This year, everyone truly can do everything.

We have not stopped practicing since we began Nanoquest. We worked on some of the old challenges like Ocean Odyssey during the off-season. We even brought out Nanoquest and did it again in March of this year. I look forward to Lego League every Friday night. It is three hours of pure fun!

Still, I never forget that lego league is really hard. Sometimes I have to remind the coaches and mentors of this. Since they have never built a sophistocated attachment or program, it is easy for them to think it is easy. But it isn't. It is especially hard this year.

Tad

A Sad Situation

2008-09-19T02:29:00.000-07:00

Some of the Microbots take Tae Kwon Do at the Middle Creek Community Center. As I was picking them up, I noticed that they had "First Lego League (9-11) (12-14)" written on their whiteboard. My feeling upon reading this was one of happiness. Middle Creek was building not just one team but two!

I asked the gentleman at the counter about this and he said, "I am sorry. We had to cancel the class. There just weren’t enough people signed up."

Starting a First Lego League team requires a lot of resources. The most common problems that I have seen with new teams are the need for coach (or coaches) and a place to practice. A first year team will require a lot of education (mostly programming) and that means a lot of time spent with the team for the coach. Many parents are reluctant to sign up for such a time commitment. You also need a place where you can meet. This place must be big enough to set up a 4’x8’ mat with the missions. Middle Creek Community Center seemed to have both.

"Oh no!” I remarked to the gentleman at the desk. "I know lots of folks who are looking for a team. I can send them to you. He took my email and told me that he would pass it on to the person who had organized the classes. I am hoping that he sends me an email because I do get a lot of parents who want to find a team. If you are looking for a team, you might want to call the center and pursue this.

You see, this is how the Microbots got started. I went to Wake Forrest (an hour drive from Raleigh) to attend an organizing session. The fellow who was putting together the team, James T., asked if anyone was from Cary. I said “Yes”. He sent me the email addresses of 13 parents who wanted to be part of a team. I organized a meeting at Colonial Baptist Church to talk about Lego League.

A friend of mine, Kyle B., was one of the emailers. He taught the kids how to program and then we each took seven of the kids and formed the Spacebots and the Microbots. Both teams are still in FLL, three years later. It has been challenging but also intensely rewarding. Let me just say that FLL is an intense experience for young people. But if you have a child that wants to become an engineer, it is the “Little League” of engineering.

Brush With Greatness

2008-09-12T04:20:00.000-07:00

Our first year was a very difficult one. While we had many builders, we were a young team and Patrick and Clark were the only ones who could program. In the challenges, we actually did pretty well for our lack of experience. We came in under the average in terms of point total on the challenges but not near the bottom. We were thrilled at how well we had done.

This was the 2006 NC State FLL Championship and the powerhouse in our state was Magellan Charter School (see the academics section of the web page for their fll accomplishments). In that championship, we had a friendship round, an opportunity for multiple teams to work together to compete against other teams working together. As we stood side by side with the Magellan team, they all seemed to be six feet tall.

The Microbots met with them before the round started and they shared some of their secrets with us. It was amazing how they were accomplishing multiple missions with a single run. They were much older and they could have brushed us off but they didn't. They let us look at their robot and showed us some of their attachments. Our builders took notes.

They asked us what our best run was and we said "Individual Atom Manipulation". They said "then you will do that". We thought, "these guys are the epitome of gracious professionalism". We spent probably a half an hour talking with them. Our coaches even had to come looking for us. We were going to miss the challenge!

We won the “friendship challenge” with their help or maybe they won it with our help. They also won the NC State Championship and we said we want to be just like them someday.

Wordle

2008-09-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

I made a Wordle for our team... http://wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/175214/The_Microbots

Enjoy!
Zach

Building the Bot

2008-09-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

I've been asked to write a bit about how we go about building our challenge robot. As I thought about it, I've realized that our methods have changed over the past three years. For instance, the first year we had three people working on the robot and they just started to build. We didn't talk about what we would do or plan in any way. Our robot turned out very big and clunky. We didn't even change it as the season went on. In our second year everyone built their own design on their own and then met and voted on what design we liked best. But then, we decided that we didn't like that design and another team member came up with a robot and we just kept that. This, our third year, in my opinion has been the most successful. This is what we did.

We had 8 hours to come up with a design for this years upcoming challenge-Climate Connections. First we sketched out our ideas for certain parts of the robot such as wheels, base and framing. We voted on our favorite designs for each of those parts and then put them all together. Then we sketched out our final design.

Now came the fun part-building it! We had one team building the framing of the general robot. The second team was working on the wheels. The third worked on attachment framing. The result was a very sturdy and accurate robot. Now that I've shared a bit about how our team has approached the building, here are some other things you need to consider in any robot design.

Simplicity is key-this is especially important if your robot falls apart (during competition even) you need to be able to quickly rebuild without having to go back to your blue print. This brings up a good thing to do-document your robot on LDD (LEGO digital designer) or by taking multiple pictures of it as you build. Simplicity also becomes a plus when you have to make a battery switch-this almost always involves taking the brick off the frame in order to switch batteries. You don't want to remove the brick and not be able to figure out how to get it back on! Another thing to consider in this area is how will you access the ports. Make sure that your framing doesn't make it impossible to get to your ports. Lastly, a very important thing is being able to see your screen. Without clearly seeing the LCD screen, you can't navigate through your programs or see what program the robot is currently on.

I've got lots more to say but, that's enough for a new team to consider. Hopefully, you can read this and learn to not make the same mistakes we did when building our robot. See you at competition!

FLL Core Values

2008-09-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

We are a team.

We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors.

We honor the spirit of friendly competition.

What we discover is more important than what we win.

We share our experiences with others.

We display gracious professionalism in everything we do.

We have fun.

Common Sources of Faliure

2008-08-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

2:50 Friday, August 29, 2008
The purpose of this post is to identify common sources of faliure in robot running. I will update this post as more sources are discovered. The reason I am doing this is I have personal experience in failing because of a little error in competition. In 2007, I was chosen to perform the final run. We had not had a 400 run yet, but we had come extremely close, only missing one obstacle during a mission. I could feel the pressure as I stepped up to the table, robot in hand, with my assisting team-mate beside me. When the time started, I hit the enter button on the robot, sending it on it's first challenge. It completed it, however, when it returned, it would not run the next program. For the rest of the run, I desperately tried to figure out the source of the problem. After time had run out, we discovered a loose wire connecting to the motor, which was why the robot would not work. That is the first common source of faliure, having an insecure wire. The second was discovered at practice a few days ago. I was running the robot, and it was really screwing up it's turns, and we could not figure out the reason. Someone then pointed out that our tire was slightly loose from the hub, wacking the turns. All these sources of common faliure can lead to the downfall of the best teams, and should be checked for before each and every run. As I mentioned earlier, I hope to find more of the little errors and post more on them later.

6:56 Friday, August 29, 2008
Another source of faliure is not a little glitch or a small problem. This faliure is positioning the robot at weird angles, going by tick marks and such. This tends to really mess things up, since only one-eighth of a degree difference, and you're off. What's much better is to always position in the corner next to the wall.

4:13 Saturday September 13 2008
A great source of faliure in the team is distractions. The team all needs to be focused or the whole thing falls apart. We bought a LEGO set simply for several aspects that we could use for our robot, namely, the exceptionally large wheels. However, that same set came with lots of pieces that seemed to distract team members from their tasks. Talking while working is one of the other things that distract teams. We as a team like seeing each other and enjoy spending time with each other, however sometimes we get too excited about seeing each other and get off task, which breaks the team's concentration. In order to go to Atlanta this year, we must be totally focused, eliminating all distractions, and putting our whole minds towards solving this challenge.

4:28 Saturday November 8 2008
Something that has been really brought into the light recently with our robot runs is the need to make a clean getaway, for lack of a better term. When solving a challenge, it is most necessary to make sure that when executing the run, there are no obstacles that create drag on the robot. On our run that delivers the carbon balls into the underground reservoir, the LEGO bricks that surround the area create drag, which creates a variability when removing the attachment from the area. Because of the 3 little bricks that are around the research area, we have had to create "mudflaps" that are just put on the back of the wheel cage that keeps that kind of thing from getting into the wheel and screwing up the run. This factor is especially important this year, as in previous years, because there are more things on the board that create that kind of friction.

6:01 Saturday November 22 2008
A big thing for us lately is variability within different robots. We where using another robot we called Robbie, but since he recently crashed, and our back-up robot Lenny is not working either, we have had to use my own personal robot, which we have dubbed Mac the Microbot. This robot is soo different than any other robots we have used, we have to rework all our programs. It is a tedious task, especially 2 weeks before competition, but we have to do it.

Starting Our Third Year

2008-08-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight marks the second meeting of our third year of First Lego League. We continue to meet every Friday night during the season and have largely the same team as we did three years ago. The young Microbots have grown older and their skills at building robots and programming them have grown as well.

I can still remember that first night when Kyle B. and I got 14 strangers together to form two FLL teams. We didn't know what we were getting into. The Microbots won the coin flip and kept the name that both teams had agreed on while Kyle's team became the Spacebots. Both teams have continued to compete in the North Carolina State Championships and both teams have been competitive.

Who would have believed that the seven kids that formed the Microbots (one has aged out) would become such close friends, as well as teamates, working together to achieve a common goal. As we embark upon Climate Connections, we continue to learn and teach each other new things. I am fortunate to have the support of all of the parents and enjoy working along with Michael M. and Linda W. to help the Microbots develop into fine FLLers.

We have created this blog so that each of the Microbots can reflect upon their experiences as the embark upon the mission to win the State championship and go to Atlanta for the World Championship.