We are eager to start a new FIRST Lego League season this Fall, with around eight 4-Hers from ages 8 to 13. If you’re interested, email us at “robotics@wiksclan.com”. Meanwhile, here is the new FIRST Lego League teaser video just came out:
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Off and running
Wow! We are off and running with this years FLL Challenge “Natures’ Fury”. The last couple weeks have been crazy. We had to buy 2 new computers (Ugh Windows 8), and get them all setup.
Last year, the Orleans County 4-H Robotics Club had one FLL team (12 kids all together, the two 8-year-olds came to the meetings, but weren’t involved in the project or the robot — but we got them team shirts/hats and they came to the competition as our cheerleaders.) Trying to plan ahead, we pre-registered two FLL teams back in May (Teams 1071 & 1405)..and ordered 2 new Lego EV3 robots and 2 Field Setup kits.
As we enter week 2, we currently have at least 26-committed kids, and perhaps a few others who are trying to determine if our schedule meshes with their own busy lives. While my wife and I rush to register a third team (Team 15629), and try to see if we have the budget to buy a 3rd EV3.
We have managed to get the obstacles built (and a few of them re-built, and re-built again) And we have assembled the first 2 EV3s (and our original 2 NXT robots) into basic rolling bots, so the kids can start attempting the missions.
Next weekend, we will be formally picking teams, names and colors. Which should amp-up the project work, and perhaps start seeing some coopertition.
Congratulations to our 4-H FLL team, which won the Robot Design Award at the Churchville-Chili qualifying tournament. In addition, they won a spot at the Championship Tournament on December 9th at the University of Rochester.
The kids also made the front page of the Medina Journal on November 15th. You can check that out Here
Marlene, Morgan, Ben and I went to hang out at Penfield Robotic’s “Rah Cha Cha Ruckus” event today. We talked to a number of other teams, and gawked at the robots from last-year’s FIRST Robotics competition.
Saturday, October 22nd, Erik, Morgan and I attended a regional FIRST training session. I attended the NEMO (non engineering mentor org) side, while Erik and Morgan received some PTC training. All of that is news we can use, I am sure.
But, outside of the training sessions, I garnished some great information as well! There is a competition in Webster next Saturday. We would like to go and take some or all of our HS aged (FRC) kids with us. We have been invited (IF you bring safety glasses) into the pits by more than one team. They even implied they would let you drive! Email robotics@wiksclan.com if you can go. We will also talk about it Monday, but the sooner we know the better. The event is all day, we could go for all or part of the day.
See you tomorrow!
Sept. 20 (Bloomberg) — Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST Robotics Championships, talks about the U.S. system of education and challenges in interesting students in science and technology. He speaks with Matt Miller and Carol Massar on Bloomberg Television’s “Street Smart.” (Source: Bloomberg).
The 5-minute video can be seen here: