Building Robots Helps Youngsters Build Skills
We're conditioned to think of robots as capable beings, whether they're good, evil, or undecided. Movies have shown such varied critters as Star Wars' C3P0 and R2D2, Blade Runner's androids, and the Terminator bestiary. Robots have come a long way since that word was introduced in Karel Capek's 1920 play R.U.R.
Robotics has long been a valuable tool for making technology appealing to children. FIRST, a non-profit organization founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, operates FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for high school students and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) for younger children.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) aims to "...create a world where science and technology are celebrated... where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes". Parents and grandparents can share construction challenges and thrill in watching their offspring compete in tournaments.
Characterized as "sports for the mind" and "not just another team sport", these volunteer-run efforts organize student teams and local/state/national/international robotics competitions. Accessible and innovative programs "build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering".
I recently attended a fascinating demonstration at Washington, DC's National Building Museum, part of the ZOOM into Engineering Family Festival.
Older teams fielded human-size robots performing room-scale chores such as stacking objects and moving furniture. Competitions involve multiple robots chugging in the same area, though it's not a BattleBot event and they're not supposed to interfere with each other. But one robot nearly decked the announcer accidentally! Rounds began with robots performing 15-second pre-programmed tasks, then team members remote controlled them. Robotic variations were striking: entries ranged from minimalist and fragile to massive and sturdy.
Today's LEGOS -- as creativity inspiring as earlier well-known TinkerToys, Lincoln Logs, and Erector Sets -- allow parents and grandparents to share youngsters' enjoyment of designing and building infinitely varied stationary and mobile creations. And a partnership with the LEGO Company brings the appeal of science and technology to children aged 9 through 14, using real-world contexts and hands-on experimentation. LEGO notes that its name comes from Danish "leg godt" meaning to "play well".
Using LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics technology, youngsters build robots and compete in friendly events tailored to their age group. LEGO bricks and other elements such as sensors, motors, and gears give teams experience in engineering and computer programming principles by constructing and programming their unique robot inventions.
Younger students' robots highlighted 2004's "No Limits" theme, illustrating the potential of robotics to help the disabled. LEGO-scale robots performed tasks such as climbing stairs, moving chairs to a table, feeding pets, and moving objects to target areas. Students learn the theme and challenge details two months before competition begins, allowing time to design and build robots and program their operation. Details of 2005's theme, "Ocean Odyssey", will be unveiled September 12.
Once competition starts, robots operate on their own via on-board computers, with students switching programs and changing parts for different tasks. Robots use sensors to understand their environment, reading data such as light/dark, distance traveled, rotation, and object impacts. Constructions were as varied as the larger robots: all were complex, colorful, and unique robots. Creativity was abundant; one robot used a separate trailer to deliver balls to a hoop, turning a lever to dump them into a hoop. Another team solved the stair-climb challenge by having their robot push a ramp to the stairs, then wheeling up it.
Robots run in separate but identical areas, with striped-shirt referees filling out detailed score cards and an announcer delivering constant sportscaster commentary as pressure mounts in tightly timed rounds.
Students use real programming techniques (if/then/else logic, acting on detected conditions and events, etc.), creating operating instructions on PCs via graphical software and downloading code to their LEGO computer. Teams receive standard automation parts kits with key components such as computer, motors, and sensors, to which they can add standard LEGO parts. Consumer and educational LEGO kits include building and programming tutorials; the consumer Robotics Invention System also includes the "Constructopedia".
Teams use different design processes to solve each year's problems, such as careful analysis before any construction or building many quick prototypes to evaluate alternatives. But the key to success is first building a team, brainstorming, and establishing processes and team members' roles. In fact, the younger teams are evaluated in four categories: the robot table run, teamwork, research related to the yearly theme, and technical discussions with judges. For the No Limits event, one team researched making an existing public building accessible.
These two student robotics competitions are labors of volunteer love on a massive scale. About 24,000 older students on more than 1,000 teams enter 30 competitions; about 50,000 younger students on 5,000 teams compete worldwide. Both levels are growing rapidly and always need more volunteers, support for teams and local competitions, corporate connections, and financial sponsors. To learn more or volunteer, click the FRC/FLL links above.
Watching the two levels of robotics competition complete with referees and announcers, along with students' awesome robotics achievements, I couldn't help wonder when professional sports -- even the Olympics -- will feature robot-class events.
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