FIRST Robotics 2009
FIRST LEGO in Louisiana
Students
Talking about
Researching,
Analyzing, and
Targeting
Exsting
Global
Issues on
Climate
2008 Louisiana Champion
Team 1417 - St. Dominic School
The S.T.R.A.T.E.G.I.C. Team [New Orleans]
There’s a FIRST for Every Age
FIRST Robotics
Competition (1992)
FIRST Tech Challenge
(2005 Pilot)
FIRST LEGO League
(1998)
Junior
FIRST LEGO
League
(2004 Pilot)
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3
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15
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18 Age
FIRST is a Year-Round Activity
Junior
FIRST LEGO
League
FIRST LEGO
League
4W
A
Basics
Build 12W
A
FIRST
Robotics
Competition
HS Robotics Class ?
FIRST Tech
Challenge
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6W 5W
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Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
Not Active in
Louisiana yet
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The Complete FIRST Participant
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Unique Headwear
(Temporary) Hair Color
Face Paint
Team T-Shirt
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2005 Champion St. Dominic Sea Dragons
Team Name – Sea Dragons
Team Number - 5315
Yearly Theme – Ocean Odyssey
Color Theme – Purple, Grn, Gld
Sponsors, Logos
Cheer, Song, Chant
Team Buttons
Team Handouts
Noise Maker
Posters
Laptop
Pit Display
Pit Decorations
No Advertising!
FIRST in Louisiana
Junior
Parish
Ascension
Bossier
Caddo
Calcasieu
E. Baton Rouge
E. Feliciana
Iberville
Jefferson
Lafayette
Lincoln
Orleans
Ouchita
Plaquemines
St. Bernard
St. Charles
St. James
St. Tammany
Tangipahoa
Terrebonne
Washington
1 Inception
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The FIRST Team Core
Values
• We are a team
• We have fun
• We do the work to find the solutions with guidance from
our coaches and mentors
• We honor the spirit of friendly competition
• What we discover is more important than what we win
• We share our experiences with others
• We display gracious professionalism in all we do
Gracious Professionalism:
•Gracious attitudes and behaviors that are “win-win”
•Gracious folks respect others and let that respect show in their actions
•Gracious professionals make a valued contribution in a manner
pleasing to others and themselves as they possess special knowledge
and are trusted by society to use that knowledge responsibly
There’s a FIRST for Every Student:
An Educator’s Perspective
• The competition requires students apply engineering principles,
science, math and computer programming.
• FIRST promotes excitement for core academics in math and
science that few other activities do for all students.
• A natural extension of the competition is more student interest
in robotics and engineering electives.
• It is the ultimate in hands-on learning for all students gifted, honors, regular, and children with special needs
• The layers of mentoring provides incredible synergy
• A national competition that is supported locally by public &
private schools, universities, nonprofits and industry
• It is cheaper than football
– FLL Team expenses are $700 per Rookie team, $350 for returning teams
– FRC Team expenses are $7,000 to $20,000-25,000 depending on lodging
The NXT Generation
The 1-Day FLL Competition
• 25% Design
– The students perform a 10-minute design review of
their robot and its apparatus for 2 judges (no mentor)
• 25% Performance
– Best of 3 tries on the competition table - 2.5 minutes
• 25% Research
– 2 minute set-up, 5 minute presentation, 5 minutes for
questions, 2-minute take-down (no mentor)
• 25% Teamwork
– 1 minute explanation from the judges, 7 minutes to
solve as a team, 2 minutes questions (no mentor)
2008 FLL Challenge
2008 Climate Connections
•Est. 137,050 kids worldwide
•10,375 teams
US and Canada
•76,000 kids; 7,600 teams
•Worldwide
•42 countries
•454 Qualifying events
•89 Championship tournaments
FLL Challenge History
1998 Pilot
2000 Volcanic Panic
Teams
•1.600 kids
•2 Pilot tournaments
FIRST and LEGO
Company pilots the
FIRST LEGO League
concept.
Teams
•15.000 kids
•50 tournaments
in the USA
FLL International Pilot Tournament in
Norway hosted by FIRST Scandinavia.
1999 FIRST
Contact
Teams
•9.500 kids
•9 tournaments in the
USA
Official launch of the
FIRST LEGO League
program in the USA.
2003 Mission Mars
Teams
•5,000 teams
•42,000 kids
•200 tournaments
China, Brazil and South Korea joins
FLL International with a Pilot
tournaments.
2001 Artic Impact
Teams
•18,500 kids
•59 tournaments
FLL International Pilot Tournaments in
the UK hosted by Young Technologists and
in Germany hosted by Hands-onTechnology.
2002 City Sights
Teams
•3,001 teams
•27,009 kids
•119 tournaments
France joins FLL International with a
Pilot tournament in Paris. Singapore
Science Center hosts first official FLL
International tournament in Singapore.
2004 NO Limits
Teams
•6,000 teams
•50,000 kids
•210 tournaments
Japan, South Africa, Turkey and Mexico
joins FLL International with a Pilot
tournaments.
2005 Ocean Odyssey
Teams
•7,460 teams
•60,000 kids worldwide
•56 tournaments (US)
•12 tournaments
(outside US & Canada)
Sample Task Assignments
Management
 Project Scheduling
 Rubric & Awards
 Evaluation & Judging
 Competition Rules
 Forums
Robot Competition
 Strategy
 Hardware Design
 Software Design
 Robot Operator (2)
Research Project
 Researcher
 Script and Choreography
 Research Report
Team Spirit / Marketing
 Team Shirt & Artwork Design
 Research Project Props
 Scrapbook
 Press Relations
 Community Outreach
 Fund Raising
JFLL Challenge History
2006 Pilot
•3,500 kids ages 6-9
•702 teams
•US and Canada
•Geared to children aged 6 to 9 years old
•Utilizes a modified FIRST LEGO League (FLL) framework.
•Teams of up to 6 children and an adult mentor receive a mini
challenge, based on the annual FLL research project.
•Uses an open-ended LEGO building set, to design a model
depicting an aspect of the FLL Challenge.
•Teams spend approximately one month exploring, investigating,
designing and building a model made with LEGO bricks.
•Teams create a "Show Me" poster that depicts the teams’
experience during this process, through drawings and words.
At the End of the Season…
• We had fun!
• We did something we didn’t think we could do
• We figured out how to manage time, deal with
setbacks, and communicate ideas
• We respected and considered ideas from everyone on
the team
• We learned that research helped us better understand
a problem and build a realistic solution
• We learned how useful and fun applied math and
science can be
• We improved over last year
• We helped our community
The true goals of FLL have nothing to do with winning medals
or trophies. If you can look back on the season and know you
accomplished at least one of these goals, you have achieved
the most important goal
Your Mission
How Did the 2008 Teams Do? – Not Perfect!
A Perfect Score
2009 Competition
Host
November 21, 2009
St. Mary’s Dominican High
School, New Orleans, LA
Important Dates
September 5
10:00 AM - 12:00 N
(Times could change!
See http://LaFLL.org )
September 12
8:30 AM - 12:00 N
Louisiana 2009 Smart Move Kickoff
for Mentors, Teachers, and Students
University of New Orleans - Homer L. Hitt Alumni Center
(see map on Links page)
•Playing Field Analysis
•Scoring and Strategy
•Research Sources and Tips
•Q & A
Louisiana 2009 Smart Move Workshop
for Mentors, Teachers, and Students
Tulane University - Stanley Thomas - 3rd Floor (Rm. 316?)
(see map on Links page)
•Rules
•JudgingQ & A
Time to get into it!
Today’s Teamwork – Time to Choose!
Hardware Design
3 Teams
Strategy
3 Teams
Software Design
3 Teams
LOST LEGOs
Team 1
< Name? >
LOST LEGOs
Team 2
< Name? >
LOST LEGOs
Team 3
< Name? >
FIRST in Louisiana
Building Louisiana Science and Technology
– A 501(c)(3) All volunteer across Louisiana & Mississippi
– A core of 35 that organizes 100+ volunteers to provide:
o FIRST LEGO League
o Bayou Regional FIRST Robotics Competition
o Educational outreach to mentors and students
– Tulane University & University of New Orleans sponsor
– Seeking additional corporate and private supporters
– Seeking mentors to continue building the vision
American Petroleum Institute
For More Information
Scot Marshall
Louisiana FLL Technical Coordinator
scot@LaFLL.org
www.LaFLL.org
www.YouTube.com/PRforLaFLL
Curtis Craig
Louisiana FRC Technical Coordinator
curtis@LaFRC.org
www.LaFRC.org
www.YouTube.com/PRforLaFRC
Barbara Pailet
BLaST Chairman
BHPFED@AOL.com
Back-up Charts
The FRC Generation
Design Rubric
• Innovative Design
• Strategy, Process, Problem-solving
• Locomotion & Navigation
– Goes defined distances efficiently
– Adjusts speed, position sensing for optimum speed and
accuracy
– Turns accurately and consistently
– Allows for variables (battery discharge, obstacles)
– Moves between two points with very good accuracy and
consistency
– May use various sensors
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Programming
Kids do the Work
Structural
Overall Design
Project Rubric
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Topic & Language Use
Completeness, Teamwork
Background, Data & Graphics
Analysis & Conclusions
– Presentation thoroughly links to research questions
– Relevance to FLL theme is clearly stated
– Alternative views considered with well-supported
position on issues
– Conclusions are clearly supported by data
– Analysis clearly relates well to research question
– Original, important insights are shared
• Style
Teamwork & FLL Values Rubric
• Roles & Responsibilities
– Clearly defined roles
– Workload is distributed fairly and team members
understand each other’s roles
– Team members fill each other’s roles (happily!), if
needed
– Team members give concrete examples of
learning time management
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Gracious Professionalism
Problem-solving & Team Dynamics
Confidence & Enthusiasm
FLL Values
The Coaches’ Promise
(the really hard part!)
• The children come first
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FLL is about the children having fun and getting excited about science and
technology. Everything my team does starts and ends with that principle.
The children do the work
This is their opportunity to learn and grow. The children on my team do all
the programming, research, problem solving, and building. Adults can help
them find answers, but cannot give them answers or make decisions.
My team is comprised of 10 or fewer members
(all team members participate on only 1 team), registered as an official FLL
team, and all team members are no older than 14 on January 1st of the
Challenge year.
FLL communicates with my team via my primary email address, and I am
responsible for reading and relaying all aspects of FLL guidelines and
rules to my team, other coaches, volunteers, and parents.
I will encourage my team members, other coaches, volunteers, parents, and
team supporters to develop and practice a set of FLL values that reflect
FIRST’s goal to challenge culture in a positive way by inspiring others
through our team’s actions and words.
The 3-Day FRC Competition
• Inspection, Pit Construction, Practice Rounds, Repair
– The robots are inspected to verify they meet weight, dimensional,
technical, and safety requirements.
– Teams practice on the field to make last-minute corrections
• Qualifying Rounds, Judging, Awards
– Typically 2 teams of 3 compete as a Red and Blue alliance in the
challenge for the year. Alliances are random selections by FIRST
– Matches are about 2.5 minutes each
• Qualifying, Finals, Closing Ceremonies
– The top 8 teams pick their 2 other permanent partners of the
alliance. Best 2 of 3 move on to semis and finals. All 3 teams on
the winning alliance go to Atlanta to the Championships
• Clean-up, Packing, and Departure
– All teams, robots, playing field complete. Doors close by 6:00 PM
2008 FRC Challenge
2008 First Overdrive
•32,675 kids worldwide in 7 Countries
•1,307 teams, 1,047 returning
•18,300 Mentors
US and Canada
•31,250 kids; 1,250 teams
•35 Regional events
1,307
1,300
1,200
Worldwide
•1425 kids; 57 teams from 5 countries
•2 Qualifying events
1,133
1,100
991
1,000
927
900
787
800
700
642
600
515
500
372
400
271
300
199
200
100
151
28
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2007 FRC Challenge
2007 Rack ‘N’ Roll
•32,675 kids worldwide in 7 Countries
•1,307 teams, 1,047 returning
•18,300 Mentors
US and Canada
•31,250 kids; 1,250 teams
•35 Regional events
1,307
1,300
1,200
Worldwide
•1425 kids; 57 teams from 5 countries
•2 Qualifying events
1,133
1,100
991
1,000
927
900
787
800
700
642
600
515
500
372
400
271
300
199
200
100
151
28
0
'92
'97
'98
'99
'00
'01
'02
'03
'04
'05
'06
'07
FRC Challenge History
• 1992: Maize Craze
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2000: Co-Operation FIRST
2001: Diabolical Dynamics
Louisiana
2002: Zone Zeal
Participation
2003: Stack Attack
2004: FIRST Frenzy Raising the Bar –
Ball Placement and Robotic Chin-ups
• 2005: Triple Play – Robotic Tic-Tac-Toe
• 2006: Aim High – Soccer and Basketball
• 2007: Rack ‘N’ Roll – Pick and Place Swim Rings
What Skills Are Developed?
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Management
Requirements
Scheduling
Strategy/Tactical
Reconnaissance
Statistical Analysis
Criminal Justice
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Photography
Drafting / CAD
Graphic Design
Drawing / Artwork
Video
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Software Programming
Website Design
Web Search
Information Organization
Word/Excel/PowerPoint
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Psychology
Sociology
Team Spirit
Motivation
Presentation
Research
What Skills Are Developed?
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OSHA /Safety
Construction
Wiring
Machining
Sensors
Gears
Motors
Fasteners
Connectors
Valves
Relays
Composites
Metals
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Marketing
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Fund Raising
Networking / Contacts •
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Public Relations
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Press Relations
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Purchasing
Budgeting
Writing
Transportation
Lodging
Food
Snacks
Drink
Coffee
Why Should I Mentor?
• You Make The
Impossible
Very Possible
• Never Had the Opportunity Before Now
• The Students
Need Your
Experience
• I was Mentored - I Know the Value
• The Faculty
Advisor Needs
Your Expertise
• Coach Other Sports/Activities
• The Robot
Needs Your
Brain
• The Poor Overloaded Faculty Advisor
• I Have Been a FIRST Mentor Before
• Experience / Special Knowledge to Share
• Make a Difference in the Life of a Teen
• Further my Career or Experience
• Like to Teach, Time to Share
• Do the Right Thing for the Right Reason
Needs Help!
Learning Centers
• Sustaining jFLL, FLL, FTC, & FRC Teams
– Industry
• Technological Applications of Robotics
• Mentors
• Funding Support
– Academia
• College, University, Vocational/Technical
– High Schools
– Shreveport
FIRST LEGO League Values
• Respect each other in the best spirit of
teamwork
• Behave with courtesy and compassion for
others at all times
• Honor the spirit of friendly competition
• Act with integrity
• Demonstrate Gracious Professionalism
• Focus on the experience, not the awards
• Remember that the children do the work
• Encourage others to adopt these values
FLL succeeds most fully when team members bring the FLL
values they learn back to their community
Building a Team
• Guidance, Structure, Encouragement, Fun
• Mentors
– Parent, Engineer, High School FRC participant, Science
Professional, Graphic Artist, Volunteer, Programmer, Marketing
Expert, Instructor
• Team Dynamics & Work Groups
– Size, Age, Team/Individual Psyche
– Hardware Design, Program, Strategy, Research, Operators,
Project Management, Test, Marketing, Documentation,
Fundraising, Team Spirit
• Rubrics (Improve, Fair, Good, Excellent)
– Robot Design, Project, Teamwork & FLL Values
A student once said he didn't much care for rubrics:
"if you get something wrong, your teacher can prove you knew what you
were supposed to do."
FLL Challenge History
2006 NanoQuest
•88,000 kids Worldwide
•8,847 teams
US and Canada
•56,010 kids; 5,601 teams
•250 Qualifying events
•63 Championship tournaments
Worldwide
•32,460 kids; 3,246 teams from 35 countries
•112 Qualifying events
•25 Championship tournaments
•Demographics
•70% Boys; 30% Girls
30 Teams Competed in 2006
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A. E. Phillips Middle School: NanoDawgs
Adams Middle School: Adams Robots
Baker Middle School: Roboraiders; Roboracers
Dighton Prep: Battle Droids
Episcopal High School: Leggo my LEGO
Grace Home Educators: LEGO Maniacs; LEGO Lunatics
Haynes Academy: Team Tech; NeXT Generation
Keithville Middle School: Swamp Eagles
Lake Castle Madisonville: RoboJets Blue; RoboJets Gold
Linwood Middle School: Robocats 1; Robocats 2;
Robocats 3
• Louisiana Tech University: NanoDawgs2
30 Teams Competed in 2006
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McMain Secondary High School: McMain Tech Rays
Meisler Middle School: Meisler Chiefs
Metairie Park Country Day School: Robo Cajuns
Nelson – UNO Charter School: The Rooks
Patrick F. Taylor Science & Tech. Academy: Taylor Robots
Pendergrass Family: GloryBots
Ridgewood Middle School: RoboRaiders
Roosevelt Middle School: Rough Riders
St. Dominic’s School: Molecule Masters; Atoms Family
St. George's Episcopal School: St. George’s #1
St. James Science & Math Academy: S.M.A.L.L. Synergy
2006 NanoQuest Awards
• Director Award 1st Place: Louisiana Tech University
• Director Runner-Up: St. James Science & Math Academy
• Robot Design Award 1st Place: St. Dominic’s School
• Robot Design Award 2nd Place: Metairie Park Country Day School
• Robot Performance Award: Louisiana Tech University
• Research Presentation Award 1st Place: Grace Home Educators
• Research Presentation Award 2nd Place: Dighton Prep
• Teamwork & FLL Values Award 1st Place: A. E. Phillips Middle
School
• Teamwork & FLL Values Award 2nd Place: St. Dominic’s School
• Special Judges Award – Above All Odds: Baker Middle School;
Pendergrass Family
• Rookie Team Award: Haynes Academy
17 Teams Competed in 2005
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Adams Middle School: Ocean Tech
Baker Middle School: Terror Squad; Roboracers
Keithville Middle School: Demon Eagles
Linwood Middle School: The Buildaholics; The Robocats
Louise S. McGehee School
Meisler Middle School: Meisler Chiefs
Patrick F. Taylor Science & Tech. Academy: Team 1& 2
Pineville Middle School / William Pitcher Jr. High: USS
DLUECGKO
Riverdale Middle School
Roosevelt Middle School: Rough Riders
Ridgewood Middle School: Bionicle Gladiators
St. Dominic’s School: Sea Dragons
St. George's Episcopal School
St. James Science & Math Academy: S.M.A.L.L. Synergy
2005-2006 Awards
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Director Award 1st Place: Sea Dragons - St. Dominic's School
Director Runner 2nd Place: Louise S. McGehee School
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Robot Design Award 1st Place: S.M.A.L.L. Synergy - St. James Science
& Math Academy
Robot Design Award 2nd Place: Louise S. McGehee School
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Research Presentation Award 1st Place: Ocean Tech - Adams Middle
School
Research Presentation Award 2nd Place: Meisler Chiefs - Meisler Middle
School
Teamwork & FLL Values Award 1st Place: Terror Squad - Baker Middle
School - Team 1
Teamwork & FLL Values Award 2nd Place: Ocean Tech - Adams Middle
School
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Robot Performance Award: Bionicle Gladiators - Ridgewood Middle
School
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Special Judges Award - Outstanding Effort: St. George's Episcopal
School
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Rookie Team Award: The Robocats - Linwood Middle School - Team 2
FIRST in Jefferson Parish
4 FLL; 1 FRC
Louisiana Centers for Learning
FLL
Shreveport
Monroe
FTC
FRC
Higher Education
Alexandria
Lake
Charles
Lafayette
Baton
Rouge
North
Shore
New
Orleans
Educational Tools
• Live Participation
– Local Live
• Seminar
– Remote Live
• WebEx
• Teleconference
• Post-Event
– Video-on-Demand
2007 FLL Challenge
2007 Power Puzzle
•Est. 105,000 kids worldwide
•10,500 teams (15% growth)
US and Canada
•70,000 kids; 7,000 teams
•260 Qualifying events
•70 Championship tournaments
10,000
9,000
Worldwide
•35,000 kids; 3,500 teams, 38 countries
•130 Qualifying events
•38 Championship tournaments
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
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'99
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'01
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'05
'06
FLL Challenge History
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1998: Pilot – 2 Tournaments
1999: First Contact – Astronauts in Space
2000: Volcanic Panic – Volcanic Eruption
2001: Arctic Impact – Arctic Research Louisiana
Participation
2002: City Sights – Urban Planners
2003: Mission Mars – Robotic Exploration
2004: No Limits – World of the Disabled
2005: Ocean Odyssey – Undersea Ecology
2006: Nano Quest – Molecular Science
2007: Power Puzzle - Energy
FIRST Things First
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology
– Began 20 years ago (1989)
– Expect to reach over 160,000 Students in 2009
– A 501(c)(3) with a small staff at HQ in Manchester, NH
– $22M annual operating budget
– $9.7M in scholarships to FIRST participants last year
– Over 2000 corporate sponsors
– Over 60,000 volunteers world-wide
– 5 programs reach every layer of education and industry
Sport for the Mind:
Combining the excitement of sport with science and technology
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