Getting Started with LEGO Robotics by Mark Gura

Author:Mark Gura [Gura, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-56484-444-6
Publisher: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
Published: 2011-01-13T05:00:00+00:00

Schools may create their own robotics events or, as is often the case, schools may join national organizations that promote events and initiatives and offer deep support, relieving schools of much of the work. Of these organizations, the largest and most popular is FIRST, which runs the annual FIRST LEGO League series of events, as well as the Junior FIRST LEGO League events.

Figure 9.1 Excitement and crowds at a student robotics competition.

What Is FIRST LEGO League?

FIRST LEGO League, also referred to by its acronym FLL, is an international educational initiative for students ages 9–14. FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” A newer initiative, Junior FIRST LEGO League, has been organized for younger children ages 6–9.

Creating FIRST LEGO League robots requires only the standard LEGO materials found in the Mindstorms kits. The FLL program is principally a competition based on a challenge, a formalized problem to be solved by the application of robot design and programming. A fresh FLL Challenge is created each year, an event that is highly anticipated by FLL teams and enthusiasts around the world. The challenges present problems that relate to real-world situations, often items that are in the news or public awareness. In addition to the creation of the robot, there is a research component of participation. FLL teams compete first in local tournaments as they work their way toward the top level, a final competition held in a single location. While the format is one of friendly competition, the intention and effect is largely of “coopertition” or cooperating to share experiences and knowledge gained through the mutual experience of working on robots.

The official website of FLL (www.firstlegoleague.org) describes its program as follows:

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.