Robo Squad Research Meeting Update

Robo Squad has decided to stick to the trash aboard a submarine as what need to be moved and the problems it creates.

What I want each of you to do is study these notes and the possible solutions you’ve come up with and prepare a one-minute presentation about one of these solutions. Think about it. Figure out a way to make it work. Some of these ideas are crazy but may be able to be created so don’t think you have to be practical. A presentation means you have to stand up in front of your team members and talk so everyone can hear you without giggling. You need to state the problem and explain how your solution will fix the problem. Don’t limit yourself to the solutions listed here. If as you’re reading this, you come up with another idea that you want to try to work on, go for it.

What we’ve learned:

• Trash travels through the sub and gets put into a unit called a TDU, or trash disposal unit.
• Everything is compressed into a giant can made of galvanized steel.
• This can is jettisoned out of the sub and sinks to the bottom of the ocean
• There are also plastic bags that can be used but they’re better for short voyages as they can start to smell after a few days.
• We’ve determined the problem to be that these cans are littering the bottom of the ocean.

Solutions

• Make robot submarines to come pick up the cans and bring them to shore to be recycled.
• Have divers go down and make notes as to where the can s are located.
• Equip the cans with a homing device so the robot subs can find them
• Turn the trash cans into torpedoes that get shot out at enemies
• Have the sub collect the cans as it travels back to port
• Put giant mechanical arms on the sub that can be deployed when it’s time to pick up the trash cans
• Turn the cans into an artificial reef for fish and other marine animals
• Turn the garbage into fuel that can be used to power the sub.

(Thanks for the detailed meeting update from Nancy Nisselbaum, our new assistant Research Coach)

FLL 2009-2010 Open House/Registration

This past Saturday (9/26/2009), the Forest Hills Lego Club had its first open house/registration and successfully registered 14 kids (between the age of 9-11) for the 2009-2010 First Lego League season. The kids will be assigned into two teams:

• Team 1 - Yasmeen, Olivia, Sharon, Rachel, Henry, James, Andrew, Victor. (8 kids avg age 10-11)
• Team 2 - Feras, Brian, Patrick, Marshall, Michael, Jeffrey (6 kids avg age 8-9)

Robotic Game
As soon as the kids saw the Lego kits, they dived in and started to build the game models for the field table. The kids worked in teams and collaborated nicely, helping each other finding the parts, and figuring out mistakes that were buried inside the models. They quickly learned how to identify the Lego parts, read the instruction diagrams, and construct the models in complex 3D geometry.

With the models completed, we are all set to start constructing the robot next week, and hopefully we will get started with some basic programming as well.

Research Project
The FLL tournament consists of two parts, the Robot Game and the Research Project. We are very lucky to have Dr. Lisa Brody to lead our research project portion, where the kids will explore and research about this year's challenge of "Smart Move".
They will need to do the following:

• Define their community, and various transportation modes in their community.
• Select one transportation mode and further research it by searching the web, taking surveys, talking to specialist, experts in that field, taking field trips etc.
  
• Propose an innovative solution to the problem
• Share the solution with their community.
• Present the entire project in 5 minutes at the tournament
  

Team spirit
The Core value of FLL is "Gracious Professionalism". It is more about what you learn through the whole FLL experience than just winning the tournament. The kids will learn critical thinking through programming, apply math and physics through the lego building, practice reading, writing and presentation skills through the research project. and most importantly they will learn how to share, collaborate and work as a team.
We will be picking a team name, team logo and T-shirt design, come up with a team cheers.
There will be job titles assigned to the kids. Each kid will have a chance to pick a job that they love and further develop their leadership skill.

Our next meeting will be Saturday, October 3, 2009 at the Roumie Residence.

Coach Iffat

www.foresthillslego.com