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April 18, 2009

Super Soaker Cools Global Warming

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Atlanta, GA — The mixture of elements provided by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) could prove to by a potent form of energy. The FIRST robotics alliances now include the National 4-H Council and the Girl Scouts of the USA.

4-H is teaming up with FIRST as part of its “One Million New Scientists. One Million New Ideas.” campaign. Over the next four years 4-H has set a goal to engage one milion new young scientific thinkers.

The Girl Scouts of the USA have teamed up with FIRST as part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) career program. The partnership was designed to foster opportunities for girls to explore STEM by providing hands-on experience in the designing, building and programming of robots while applying the concept of “gracious professionalism” during competition. The partnership is made possible through support from the Motorola Foundation.

It would appear that there are a growing number of individuals that feel the school systems can not handle the ever increasing demand for critical thinkers. “The global economy is constantly demanding a more technologically competent workforce…,” said Paul Gudonis, FIRST President.

It would also appear that climate change and energy alternatives are at the top of the list demanding critical thinkers. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has issued a proposed finding that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare. Among the concerns for human health are ground-level ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.

SOLUTIONS
FIRST, and FIRST supporters, are working on solutions. This year’s FIRST LEGO League competition involved building robots out of LEGOs that would solve climate change problems.

Lonnie Johnson is an inventor that serves as a FIRST ambassador, as well as, FIRST event judge. In 1979, he became Senior Systems Engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where he worked on the Galileo mission to Jupiter; however, Dr. Johnson is probably best known for inventing the Super Soaker. It was the top selling toy in 1991 and 1992 and has generated over $1 billion in sales.

But, don’t let LEGOs and Super Soakers get you thinking this is all child’s play. Dr. Johnson has developed a program to help educate the youth on climate change. In addition, he is putting his money where is mouth is by investing in energy technologies.

ENERGY TECHNOLGY
Two of Dr. Johnson’s companies are devoted to developing alternative energy technologies.

Excellatron Inc. mission statement is “to develop revolutionary energy storage technology as well as the manufacturing technology required for its cost effective commercialization.” They have developed a long cycle life battery that is also flexible. The technology has become known as TFB (thin film batteries).

Johnson Electro-Mechanical Systems (JEMS) mission is “to develop alternative energy generation technologies to meet tomorrow’s energy needs.” JEMS converts thermal energy to electrical energy using a non-steam process which works by pushing hydrogen ions through two membranes.

More About FIRST Robotics

April 17, 2009

Combating Global Warming Is Child’s Play

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Atlanta, GA — Kyoto, Japan was a notable gathering on global warming. The Netherlands, Brazil, India, Thailand and the U.K. have all had summits on climate change. Every year in Aspen, CO some of the brightest minds get together to share ideas on the environment. Do any of these events give hope to a solution?

The China LEGO Team

The China LEGO Team

Maybe the best place to find an optimistic outlook for finding real world solutions to human induced climate change is… playing children’s games in Atlanta, Georgia. Youth from around the world gathered for the FIRST Robotics championships at the Georgia Dome. There are three different age groups that take part in a variety of competitions. The youngest group competes in the LEGO league. Each year a different challenge is presented for which the kids build robots out of LEGOs to try to solve “the problem”. This year’s challenge has to do with climate change.

Climate Connections World Festival
The objective of the Climate Connections competition is to score the most points using robots made out of LEGO’s by:

Bury Carbon Dioxide (Carbon Sequestration)
Move carbon dioxide (the gray balls) to the underground reservoir. For each carbon dioxide to score, it must be touching the reservoir model and/or the mat within the model, but it must not be touching the mat outside the model.Scoring carbon dioxide (balls) are worth 5 points each.

Construct Levees
Move levee blocks to low-lying shores while being careful not to damage the ones that are already in scoring position… For each block to score, it must be upright and touching low-lying shores on the mat. Scoring blocks are worth 5points touching red and 4 points touching green. Blocks touching both red and green shores are scored as touching red only.
NOTE: Levee blocks are this year’s “touch penalty objects.” When an active robot is touched while it’s completely out of Base, the referee will take one levee block off the field, out of play, starting with those that are in Base. If there arenone in Base, the one currently farthest west in the field will be taken. If the only levee blocks available are being moved by the robot at the time of the touch, one of those will be taken after the robot is carried back to Base. If all 8 levee blocks have been taken already, there is no loss.

Test Levees
See how levees survive when a storm approaches (activate the wheel-roller). The wheel must be allowed to roll freely until it either hits or misses the levees. The activation is worth 15 points whether the levees are hit or missed, but worth no points if the wheel is strategically blocked by anything other than released levees near or past the greenshore.

Raise The Flood Barrier
The barrier in the up position (red lever down) is worth 15 points.

Elevate The House
The house in the up position (red lever east) is worth 25 points.

Turn Off The Lights
The window showing black is worth 20 points.

Open A Window
The window all the way open is worth 25 points.

Get People Together
Three or more red/white citizens touching the pink grid area is worth 10 points.Three or more blue/gray leaders touching the tall, green mountain and/or city is worth 10 points.Three or more black/white scientists touching the research area is worth 10 points.

Find Agreement (Align The Arrows)
Before the match starts, the referee sets the yellow arrows in random disagreement. Alignment of both yellow arrowsis worth 40 points for both teams, no matter which direction the alignment faces and no matter if one or both robotshelped.

Fund Research Or Corrective Action
Move money (the yellow ball) to the research area or to the underground reservoir. For the ball to score, it must be touching the underground reservoir or research area (ice sheet) models and/or the mat within those models, but it must not be touching the mat outside those models. The scoring money is worth 15 points.

Deliver An Ice Core Drilling Machine
Move the core drilling machine to the research area. For the machine to score, it must be making direct contact with the research area model and/or the mat within that model, but it must not be touching the mat outside that model. The scoring machine is worth 20 points. The drill assembly raised completely vertical is worth an additional 10 points.

Extract An Ice Core Sample
The ice core pulled completely from its hole is worth 20 points. The ice core in Base is worth an additional 10 points.

Deliver An Ice Buoy
Move the ice buoy to the research area. For the buoy to score, it must be upright and making direct contact with the research area model and/or the mat within that model, but it must not be touching the mat outside that model. The scoring buoy is worth 25 points.

Insulate A House
Move the insulation to the green grid area. Both insulation touching the green grid area is worth 10 points.

Ride A Bicycle
Move the bicycle to the green grid area. The bicycle touching the green grid area is worth 10 points.

Telecommute And Research
Move the computer to the green grid area. The computer touching the green grid area is worth 10 points.

Study Wildlife
Move the polar bear and/or the snowmobile to the research area. To score, they must be making direct contact with the research area model and/or the mat within that model, but they must not be touching the mat outside that model.The scoring bear is worth 15 points upright, or 10 points “sleeping” (on its side), and the scoring snowmobile is worth 10 points.

Beat the Clock
At the end of the match, if the robot is making direct contact with the research area model and/or the mat within that model, but it’s not touching the mat outside that model, that’s worth 15 points. –OR– At the end of the match, the robot touching only the yellow grid area is worth 10 points.

Adults! Pay attention to this child’s play!

MULTIMEDIA
Video Clip: The Chinese LEGO Team In Action

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Learn More About FIRST Robotics

April 1, 2009

Dean Kamen Asks Children to Consider Global Climate Solutions

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — @ 4:08 pm

Dean Kamen Asks Children Worldwide to Consider Global Climate Solutions through the 10th Anniversary Season of FIRST LEGO® League

-Milestone season set to be biggest ever with 135,000 children in 40 countries exploring robotic solutions to climate conditions-

by FIRST

Manchester, NH – As concern for the global environment increases, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, is turning to 135,000 children, ages 9 to 14, in 40 countries to explore robotics solutions through hands-on, minds-on teamwork revolving around the 10th Anniversary FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) Challenge: “Climate Connections.”

To ensure that the tenth FLL season will be one to remember, FIRST worked with the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, professors at MIT and University of Massachusetts, Amherst and experts from LEGO Education, to develop a theme and challenge missions reflective of the hurdles that scientists experience relative to climate study, an issue that has significant and immediate impact on every person on the globe.

“For 10 years, our annual challenges have put kids in the driver’s seat to explore and test solutions in a fun and engaging way. We have been fascinated by the enthusiasm, passion, and creativity our kids have demonstrated in rising to the challenges,” said Dean Kamen. “Our world faces many issues for the future, so why not give kids real-world problems to solve now?”

“Climate Connections” challenges teams of children, ages 9 to 14, to use robotics to unite communities in the research and study of a global atmospheric phenomenon: the climate. The Challenge goal is for teams to program their robots to learn about past climates, delve into questions about our current climate and explore conditions for the future through missions including: connecting research resources, minimizing climatic influences, polar experiments, sequestering greenhouse gases, studying wildlife, preparing for climatic conditions and gathering communities of people.

“‘Climate Connections’ gives kids a hands-on, real-world experience allowing them to use their imaginations and creativity in combination with science and technology. It provides a process whereby they work together to experience first-hand the challenges that even the top scientists face surrounding this broad and important topic, Kamen continued. “As a result, FLL kids develop the curiosity, creative problem-solving skills, and confidence they need to face tomorrow’s challenges. FLL kids are what our society needs, to build the workforce of the future in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.”

The tenth FLL season will engage more teams than ever before, with more than 135,000 children in 40 countries competing in hundreds of qualifying events and Championship Tournaments to win honors and the chance to participate at the FIRST LEGO League World Festival, to be held in conjunction with the FIRST Championship, April 16-18, 2009 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.When the program launched in 1998, there were 200 children in the United States participating.

In conjunction with the 2008 season Kickoff, FIRST LEGO League will launch its redesigned Website at www.FIRSTLEGOLeague.org. The site establishes a fun and inviting, global, online community where users can learn about the FLL program, see season schedules, register teams, create a Team Site, or join in on a Forum. Teams will also be able to upload avatars, files, and photos all while communicating with others in their own team, in their country, or with other international teams in several languages.

FLL is an international program for 9 to 14 year-old children created in a partnership between FIRST and The LEGO Group in 1998 to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Each September, FLL announces the annual challenge to teams, engaging them in authentic scientific
research and hands-on robotics design. Using LEGO MINDSTORMS technologies and play materials, children work alongside adult mentors to design, build, and program robots to solve real-world challenges.

After eight intense weeks, the competition season culminates at high-energy, sports-like tournaments. “FIRST LEGO League provides a fun and engaging experience for children around the world to stretch their imaginations, creativity and problem solving skills,” said Jens Maibom, vice president, LEGO Group.

“Using a real-world issue to drive a process where children are in control provides them with a chance to take what they learn and apply it to their own lives, not only during this Challenge, but to their future adventures and endeavors.”

FIRST will continue to offer the Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr.FLL) program. Now in its fifth year, Jr.FLL is geared towards teams of 6 to 9 year-olds, introducing them to the wonders of science and technology through traditional, open-ended LEGO building with a mini-challenge based on the annual FLL project.

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More About Robotics

About FIRST
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With the support of many of the world’s most well-known companies, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge for high-school students, FIRST LEGO® League for children 9-14 years old, and the Junior FIRST LEGO League for 6 to 9 year olds. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org. To learn more about the “Climate Connections” Challenge, go to www.FIRSTLEGOLeague.org.

About the LEGO Group
LEGO Systems Inc. (LSI) is the Americas (North America and Latin America) division of the LEGO Group, a privatelyheld firm based in Billund, Denmark. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities through high-quality, creatively educational play materials, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good enough.” For more information, visit www.LEGO.com

LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of The LEGO Group. © 2008 The LEGO Group.

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