Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Thoughts from last year's FLL season
FLL ROBOT ISSUES/TIPS/SUGGESTIONS/WORK FLOW
The first thing is to test to see if your robot goes straight. Everything else follows.
Second - figure out how to make a consistent 90 degree turn and share it with the group.
Stop the insanity! If you don't start at the exact same place every time, don't expect the results to be the same.
First things to check before running a mission. Is the battery fully charged? Have you checked the robot to see if its sturdy, the wheels are aligned, everything is plugged in, the mat is flat, the playing field is set up?
Program one step at a time, don't change more than one thing at a time.
Don't “fix” things that are working just because it doesn’t work once.
Don’t be a "robot hog". Only the person who will be running the mission at the competition should be lining up the robot and pushing the button.
Keep your programs organized and don’t forget to save them with a backup.
Don't delete anything. Save it as a different name.
If you want to "improve" an attachment or program - Make a copy of it. The proof is in the pudding - have a contest to see which one is better.
Once an attachment is finished - put it in the vault (envelope) , so it doesn't get taken apart by accident.
Learn fast - find out if something is not going to work early so you can try something else.
Time is real. There is only a certain amount of time available and at some point you just have to go with what you have. The day of the competition is not the time to be making changes.
Respect the work of others. Don't come in after missing a meeting and start questioning the work of others. Don’t touch anyone else’s attachments or programs unless you have their permission.
Before making a change to the program. Run the mission a few times. Figure out if it really is a problem with the programming or something else.
Is the robot running/turning too fast? Too fast and the wheels slip.
Learn the difference between “braking” and “coasting”
Make and use a measuring device to measure rotation and speed up your programming time.
Use alignment jigs and the game board to your advantage to line up your robot.
Learn to use sensors and incorporate sensors into the robot’s design
Be willing to give up your ideas if the team has a better one. The goal is for the team to do well, not for your individual idea to be used. If you are convinced your idea will work better - prove it.
Think stupidly simple. Think about the quickest, easiest way to accomplish tasks. There are not points awarded for complexity.
Focus on the tasks you have been assigned. When you have mastered your missions then you can help others.
Learn from watching other teams but don’t copy them. How do you know what they are doing is any better than your ideas?
Get down to “points per second” analysis to judge which missions to complete.
The first thing is to test to see if your robot goes straight. Everything else follows.
Second - figure out how to make a consistent 90 degree turn and share it with the group.
Stop the insanity! If you don't start at the exact same place every time, don't expect the results to be the same.
First things to check before running a mission. Is the battery fully charged? Have you checked the robot to see if its sturdy, the wheels are aligned, everything is plugged in, the mat is flat, the playing field is set up?
Program one step at a time, don't change more than one thing at a time.
Don't “fix” things that are working just because it doesn’t work once.
Don’t be a "robot hog". Only the person who will be running the mission at the competition should be lining up the robot and pushing the button.
Keep your programs organized and don’t forget to save them with a backup.
Don't delete anything. Save it as a different name.
If you want to "improve" an attachment or program - Make a copy of it. The proof is in the pudding - have a contest to see which one is better.
Once an attachment is finished - put it in the vault (envelope) , so it doesn't get taken apart by accident.
Learn fast - find out if something is not going to work early so you can try something else.
Time is real. There is only a certain amount of time available and at some point you just have to go with what you have. The day of the competition is not the time to be making changes.
Respect the work of others. Don't come in after missing a meeting and start questioning the work of others. Don’t touch anyone else’s attachments or programs unless you have their permission.
Before making a change to the program. Run the mission a few times. Figure out if it really is a problem with the programming or something else.
Is the robot running/turning too fast? Too fast and the wheels slip.
Learn the difference between “braking” and “coasting”
Make and use a measuring device to measure rotation and speed up your programming time.
Use alignment jigs and the game board to your advantage to line up your robot.
Learn to use sensors and incorporate sensors into the robot’s design
Be willing to give up your ideas if the team has a better one. The goal is for the team to do well, not for your individual idea to be used. If you are convinced your idea will work better - prove it.
Think stupidly simple. Think about the quickest, easiest way to accomplish tasks. There are not points awarded for complexity.
Focus on the tasks you have been assigned. When you have mastered your missions then you can help others.
Learn from watching other teams but don’t copy them. How do you know what they are doing is any better than your ideas?
Get down to “points per second” analysis to judge which missions to complete.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Robotics Club Repairs 55 XOs, Maybe a New Record!
Here is a blog entry about the Fibonacci Four heroic service project:
"In May, I received a pallet of XO-1's from OLPC's Dallas warehouse. Most of these are G1G1 XOs that people re-donated for projects in Haiti, in response to the letter that Nicholas N sent out, shortly after the earthquake. Many of that cache had already been distributed to Haiti projects, during the past 2 years. But there were still a bunch in storage.
Each re-donated G1G1 XO needs to be cleaned up, checked out and reflashed to the latest software build. Then, as the Conributors Program approves applications, these XOs will be ready for children in Haiti!
I don't know why these were still in storage, but I had space enough to work with them and offered to get them into shape for distribution from the new "OLPC NH volunteer satellite office...."
Read more: http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nsevers/4/1343215223/tpod.html#ixzz21eqdhctw
READ MORE
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
"Fibonacci Four T-shirt" T-Shirts & Hoodies Now Available
"Fibonacci Four T-shirt" T-Shirts & Hoodies | Redbubble: 
Now available in t-shirts and hoodies! The brand new official Fibonacci Four Team logo printed on your choice of colored t-shirts and hoodies.
For each purchase twenty percent is donated to the team for support.
Now available in t-shirts and hoodies! The brand new official Fibonacci Four Team logo printed on your choice of colored t-shirts and hoodies.
For each purchase twenty percent is donated to the team for support.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
XO Computer Steps of fixing Video
Look at this video we made! It shows all the steps needed to fix an XO computer.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Learn Robotics with the Fib Four!
The Fibonacci Four robotics team will be offering a five week class at the AVA Gallery in Lebanon after school in October. This course will be a basic introduction to Lego Robotics for younger kids with one on one instruction from seasoned First Lego League eight graders.
Youth Robotics
Ages 5-8
September 18 - October 16; Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30pm; Five 2-hour classes
AVA Gallery and Art Center
11 Bank Street
Lebanon, NH 03766
(603) 448-3117
www.avagallery.org
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