Oregon Robotics Tournament
and Outreach Program
II. Coaching/Mentoring
Techniques Workshop for
Mindstorms NXT
2008
Opening doors to the worlds of science
and technology for Oregon’s youth
Instructor Contacts
Ken Cone
[email protected]
503-821-1134
Jim Ryan
[email protected]
971-215-6087
Dale Jordan
Roger Swanson
[email protected]
503-297-1824
[email protected]
ORTOP Project Administrator
Cathy Swider
[email protected]
(503) 821-1136
Today’s Goals
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Focus on being a coach or mentor using
Mindstorm NXT robotics kits
I hope you leave:
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Feeling more comfortable about your role
Having some more tools in your bag of
tricks
Understanding better what it takes to solve
a challenge.
Having gotten your questions answered
Have some fun!!
Agenda
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Review our Mission
Forming your team
Registering your team
Equipping your team
Managing your team
Climate Connections Challenge kit
Use NXT Robots from last week to program
more with the Mindstorms NXT Software
We’re asking
Our Mission you to help us!
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Program not just about building robots and
competing in tournaments
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Teach skills
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Specific technical skills
General life skills
Show that technical problem solving can be fun
The youngsters do the work – Coaches’ Honor
Code and Team Promise
Open up the possibility of technical careers
One secret opportunity
Forming Your Team
Where Teams Come From
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School Based
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Club Based
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Probably after school or evening
Independent team
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In class: Perhaps 45 minutes a day
After school: Perhaps 1.5 hours; 2 to 4 times a week
Special block: Several hours once a week
After school, evenings, or weekends
We encourage you to find and include
youngsters that normally would not have this
exposure
Where to Meet
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Large enough space to handle the
number of youngsters on the team
Space for challenge field setup – 4’x8’
Access to a computer
Storage space between meetings
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Challenge table
Partially built robot
Lego parts
Team size
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High initial interest may fade
Sub-teams of 2-3 can work in parallel
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Experiment with prototypes
Learn programming techniques
Work on the presentation
Eventually team should stabilize at 10
or less
5 to 7 team members is probably ideal
You Need Adults, Too!
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Coach – The person in charge
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Mentor – The technical guru
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Organizes the team
Does not need to be a techie
Provides technical advice
Provides the technical basics
One person can play both roles
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But, don’t go it alone
Recruit other adults to supervise sub-teams
Coach – The Person in Charge
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Single point of contact for team
Understands the FLL and ORTOP programs
Management expertise more important than
technical expertise
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Recruits the team
Registers the team
Arranges for equipment
Schedules meetings
Sets the philosophy and instills team spirit
Is a good role model
Mentor – The Technical Guru
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Technical Advisor to assist the coach
Teaches both robot design and
programming
Helps set achievable goals
Encourages structured problem solving
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Follow typical engineering project models
Experiment with one variable at a time
Graduates of FLL can work as mentors
General Advice to All Adults
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This is the kids’ project, not yours
Be a good role model
Keep a positive attitude
Encourage teamwork and insist on
mutual respect
Don’t over emphasize “winning” –
demonstrating a solution at a
tournament is success
Have fun
FLL Team Promise
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We are a team.
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
everything we do.
We have fun.
Registering Your Team
Team Registration
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National registration through FLL:
http://register4fll.com/
May through end of September or when max
reached
$200 FLL registration fee
Receive Coaches Handbook, web forum
access, DVDs on FIRST and FLL, and support
Optional ordering of kits
First-Come-First-Served, so REGISTER
EARLY!!
Purchases at FLL Registration
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Registration fee: $200
FLL Robot Set (NXT): $365
Field set-up kit: $65
Extra parts: motors and sensors
(rotation, light, and touch)
They don’t ship until they are paid
ORTOP State Registration
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Takes place October 1-10, 2008
$50 fee for ORTOP
We notify all coaches that have registered
with FLL in Oregon and SW Washington
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Provide list of local tournaments
Ask for 3 local tournament choices in priority
order
We assign teams to local tournaments
Register early!!
Equipping Your Team
Minimum Resources to Start
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A robotics kit
A computer with Windows XP or Vista
A place to meet and practice
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Classroom
Family room
Garage
Community Room
Additional Resources
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2008 FLL “Climate Connections” Field Setup kit
(only from FLL)
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Mission Model Set
Field Mat
Practice table (design on FLL website)
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http://www.firstlegoleague.org/default.aspx?pid=11
330
4’x8’ bottom
Railing around the sides
Overhead light
Robotics Kit Info
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RCX-based kits
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LEGO kit used by FLL in past years
Can still be used in tournament in 2008
They will be phased out eventually
NXT-based kits
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Brand new in 2006
$365 if ordered during FLL registration
Ship to registered teams starting in mid-May
Robotics Kit Info – NXT-Based
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FLL NXT -- $365
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LEGO Education NXT Base Set -- $260
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Complete kit with two tubs and sorting trays
NXT software
Fewer parts with one tub and sorting trays
No software
LEGO Retail -- $249.99-260
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Fewer parts with no sorting trays
Includes NXT software
Allowed NXT Robot Parts
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NXT controller (1)
Motors (3)
Touch sensors (2)
Light sensors (2) (FLL kit comes with
only 1!)
Lamp (1)
Rotation sensors (3 minus the number
of NXT motors present)
Ultrasonic sensor (1)
Team Uniforms??
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Many teams do something for the
tournaments
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Team shirts, hats, etc
Theme clothing
Team sponsor advertising on a T-shirt,
etc. is OK
Example Team Budget
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National Registration Fee: $200
State Registration Fee: $50
2008 Robotics Kit: $365
2008 Field Setup Kit: $65
Materials for table: $50-$100
Misc. including batteries, shipping: $50-$100
Total: $780-880
Possible Sources of team
funding
Team Member Dues
Having some portion of
costs picked up by team
members gives a sense
of commitment
Fundraising
Activities
Team
Sponsors
ORTOP Scholarship
ORTOP Scholarships
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Funding should not be an obstacle to a
team’s participation
Cover up to $800 in team costs
Accepting applications now
Awards made at least monthly
Last date is September 1, 2008
http://www.ortop.org/res.htm#scholar
Scholarship Expectations
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Financial need based awards
Coach/Mentor must attend all 3 ORTOP Workshops.
Commit to holding at least one 90 minute meeting a
week to work on the FIRST LEGO League Challenge
from September until the Qualifying Tournament.
Team provides location to practice.
Team provides computer with Windows XP or Vista
Coach must bring team to Qualifying Tournament
Coach must have an email address & phone and
promise to communicate with ORTOP.
If coach does not continue past one year, robot kit
must be returned to ORTOP.
Managing Your Team
Meeting Organization
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How often and how long to meet
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Most teams meet 2-3 times per week
After school, evenings, weekends as team desires
Some add extras as get closer to end
> 1 hr (set up and take down)
< 3 hrs (attention span)
At least 2 adults present during meetings –
can use parents who take turns
Set ground rules -- E.g. don’t turn kids loose
to walk home by themselves after dark
Refreshments / snacks
Team Kick-off Meeting
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Every child brings parent/guardian
Set expectations with both
Send kids off to build with LEGOs
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Get assistant to help
Build with instructions, like the
Constructopedia
Something they can all do at once
Explain the real situation to the parents
Parent Involvement
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Explain program/FLL philosophy
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Success = Participation
Explain team rules
Discuss participation commitment for
kids
Review costs and funding sources
Communicate about tournament
Solicit help
Getting Started with the Kids
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Set Team Goals
Decide responsibilities
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Set milestones – use project management
analogy
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Can rotate, especially near beginning
Usually will want to be fixed as near tournament
Need backup roles due to absences
Set dates for each phase of project to keep on
track
Include design, build, test, REWORK
Encourage participation in a team environment
Learning Opportunities
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Encourage risk taking
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It’s OK to fail
Key is to manage the risk
Encourage experimentation
Expect failure – focus on what is
learned as a result
Problem solving takes time – Edison’s
experience with light bulb filament
Facilitate Structured Problem Solving
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Defining problem
Brainstorming
Evaluating alternatives
Choosing alternative
Implementing
Evaluating & testing
Hard vs.. Soft Skills
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Hard Skills
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Mechanical Design
Programming
Analysis
Problem Solving
Experimentation
Documentation
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Soft Skills
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Timeliness
Teamwork
Tact and Compromise
Confidence
Courtesy
Perseverance
Planning
Turn these youth into little engineers
Build a Foundation
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Introduce techniques and concepts
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Build or bring demos
Discuss advantages and disadvantages
Let kids figure out how to apply concept to
Challenge
If meetings start before Challenge is
announced, can use mini-challenges to
introduce concepts
One approach: use 5-10 minutes at start of
each meeting to introduce concepts
Sample Concepts
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Pick one or two new subjects per session
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Structural strength: bracing vs. snapped pieces
Gear ratios: torque vs. speed
Traction: tracks vs. wheels
Friction: tires vs. skids
Programming techniques: linear vs. loops vs.
subroutines
Divide and conquer
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Three basic robot functions:
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Locomotion: how the robot moves
Navigation: how it knows where to go
Robotic Action: function it performs
Locomotion
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Motors
Gears/pulleys
Wheels/tracks
Steering
Friction
Navigation
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Time, but sensitive to battery charge
Touch Sensors
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Light Sensors
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Means of triggering
Pressed vs. release
Light levels
Darker/lighter
Calibrating thresholds
Rotation sensor
Robotic Action
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Pushing
Grabbing
Lifting
Dumping
With All the Focus on the
Robot and the Challenge…
Don’t Forget the Judging
Technical Judging – 25%
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Panel of “experts” interviews teams
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Prepare the team to:
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Robot design: Creativity and robustness
Programming: Creativity and robustness
Explain their design of the robot and its
program
Demonstrate at least one mission on the
challenge field
Bring a printout of the program
Presentation Judging – 25%
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Don’t ignore it
Another good learning opportunity
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Research skills and presentation skills
(remember the marketing kid? )
Good engineering requires research and
communication
Format – includes setup time
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5 minute presentation, 5 minute interview
Posterboards, skits, models, Powerpoint, . . .
Teamwork Judging – 25%
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A separate 10 minute judging session
No presentation is expected
Judges interact with teams to evaluate
their teamwork abilities
Sources of ideas
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Constructopedias/Manuals/Guides
NXT Software Tutorial
Books – http://www.ortop.org/res.htm#books
Web links – http://www.ortop.org/res.htm#links
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Lego
FIRST
INSciTE -- Minnesota FLL
Tufts University – Inventor of
Robolab
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Art of Lego
CMU
Best Practices
NXT is new so not all resources are NXT specific
– still useful for general techniques
Our Mailing Lists
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ortopvol
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All volunteers – you can opt out
One way from ORTOP to our volunteers
We add you when you volunteer
ortopcoaches
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You are added when you register your
team with FLL
Communication from ORTOP to registered
coaches – very important channel
Next Steps
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Take Dale Yocum’s NXT Tutorial:
http://www.ortop.org/NXT_Tutorial/
Sign-up for another workshop
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III. Robotics Techniques Workshop
2Learn2Learn Teamwork Workshop
http://www.ortop.org/res.htm#REG
ESCO – “Robotics Mentorships as a
Developmental Career Opportunity”
Contact Us
Web site: http://www.ortop.org
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503-821-1136