El Camino Creek Robotics Team
Building Robots Since 2010Goodbye Food Factor, hello Senior Solutions!
Thank you to our two wonderful teams from the 2011 season. What a season!
Our two teams, the NXTacos and the Bacteria Busters, made El Camino Creek proud in the FIRST LEGO League 2011 FOOD FACTOR Challenge tournaments in November and December. In our final tournament at LEGOLAND, there were 54 teams competing. Many of the top teams were from middle schools with lots of 8th graders. Our teams managed to be two of only sixteen teams called back by the judges for consideration for awards. In the end, the Bacteria Busters brought home two Inspiration Awards!
It’s time to start looking toward our next season, the 2012 SENIOR SOLUTIONS Challenge! We are accepting applications from current 3rd, 4th and 5th graders.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY ONLINE FOR THE EL CAMINO CREEK ROBOTICS TEAM!
We will accept applications until April 30th, 2012. The PTA committee will be selecting team member and forming teams by May 15th, 2012.
FLL Cup @ LEGOLAND!
ECC Robotics Team:
Here is our remaining schedule for the season:
Thursday, December 1st (today)
Pre-tournament Practice
2:30 -4:00 PM @ The Fine Residence
Friday, December 2nd
TOURNAMENT RUNTHROUGH
BACTERIA BUSTERS 2:30 – 4:00 PM @ The Fine Residence
NXTacos 4:00 – 5:30 PM @ The Fine Residence
FOR FRIDAY – I am keeping our two teams separated this time around. I am also starting us 30 minutes earlier than originally scheduled so we can be sure to get through Core Values, the Research Project, the Robot Design Review, and at least three rounds of Robot Game.
Saturday, December 3rd
NO MEETING! Have some fun and get a good night’s sleep.
Sunday, December 4th
TOURNAMENT: FIRST LEGO League Cup
*** Meet at the LEGOLAND front gate at 10:40 AM ***
Sunday’s tournament will officially mark the end of our FLL season but we will have a wrap-up party for both teams on Saturday, January 7th:
Saturday, January 7th
2:00 -5:00 PM @ The Fine Residence
End-of-season Party AND “Coach vs. Kids” Robot Game faceoff!
Good luck to everyone this weekend!
Coach Fine
Great Job ECC Robotics Teams!
We are so proud of our robotics teams for their performance in the FLL Qualifying Tournament! The NXTacos and the Bacteria Busters were both called back in the afternoon for Core Values judging. While neither team advanced to the Southern California Regional Championship, everyone has another opportunity to shine at the FLL Cup on Sunday, December 4th, 2011 at LEGOLAND.
TODAY’S MEETINGS ARE AT THE FINE RESIDENCE AT THE NORMAL TIMES: After school until 4:00 for Bacteria Busters, 4:00 to 5:30 for NXTacos!
Thanks,
Coach Fine
OPEN BUILD
Because of our time crunch, I have decided to add what I’m calling “OPEN BUILD” on Sunday afternoons where any available team members from either team can work on robots building, programming or the research project.
You can drop off or pick up anytime during Open Build. If you can make it, great! If not, we’ll see you at the next scheduled meeting.
I’m starting Open Build tomorrow for anyone who can make it.
OPEN BUILD
Where: The Fine Residence, 7936 Grado El Tupelo, Carlsbad (760) 632-5015
Time: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Dates: October 9th (tomorrow)
October 23rd
October 30th
November 13th
November 20th
November 27th
Lots of work to do
Our meeting after school on Monday, September 26th will be a busy one!
Monday After-school Meeting
Date: Monday, September 26th
Time:
2:30 to 4:00 PM for Bacteria Busters (BLUE TEAM)
4:00 to 5:30 PM for NXTacos (RED TEAM)
Where: ECC Science Room #201
What to bring: Final Logo designs, research topics, robot chassis designs
Upcoming team deadlines/timelines:
Monday, September 26th
Logo designs need to be in – we will be picking a logo
Food Factor Project ideas: we will be picking our research project topic
Final Robot Chassis design
Be prepared for a team discussion of mission choices, order and strategy
Saturday, October 1st
Robot attachments for missions: initial decisions and testing
Programming: navigation based on mission choices
Monday, October 3rd
Robot attachments: final designs
Programming: finalize navigation and focus on using attachments for missions
FLL has released some important notes related to the Food Factor Project:
Q: Can we study water safety for the Food Factor Project?
A: No, water safety is an important topic, but it is not the focus of the Food Factor Project. We are asking teams to focus on a food that you eat (see page 2 of the Project document for some food categories to consider) and select a contamination or spoiling problem that might make that food unsafe to eat.
Q: The Project asks us to choose a food with fewer than 7 ingredients. Do we need to pick a food with ingredients or is it ok to choose something more simple?
A: Your team may choose something as simple as a single ingredient (like an apple or a walnut) or it may have multiple ingredients (like pasta or yogurt). If your food comes in a package, it probably lists all of the ingredients that were used to make that food. Simply count how many ingredients are listed. Once a food has more than 7 ingredients though, your team may have a difficult time learning about all of the ingredients in just 8 weeks.
Q: Are we required to choose a food we find in the home of one of our team members?
A: No, your team may choose a food you do not eat at home if you wish. We ask teams to start in their kitchens because this is a good way to start brainstorming. Just remember that your team will need to learn about all the steps your food took before being eaten. This may be more difficult if you choose a food that is unusual or one that you do not know how to prepare.
Q: Can we choose a pet food?
A: No, please focus on people food for Food Factor.
Q: What about food security?
A: Food insecurity is an important issue that faces many people around the world, and we are glad that FLL teams are thinking of ways to solve this problem. However, the Food Factor season is specifically focusing on contamination and spoiling problems that could make your food unsafe to eat. We are not addressing food security this season.
(From http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/projectfaq)
Keep thinking about topics for our project! As a reminder, the front page of our website has a Google feed for any news stories that include the word “foodborne” (look to your right!)
Keep those project and design ideas coming!
Coach Mike
Meetings, timelines and updates
We will be meeting this Saturday, but please note we will not be meeting after school this coming Monday due to minimum days for parent/teacher conferences next week.
Saturday Meeting
Date: Saturday, September 17th
Time: 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM for NXTacos (RED TEAM)
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM for Bacteria Busters (BLUE TEAM)
Where: The Fine Residence @ 7936 Grado El Tupelo, 92009 (760) 632-5015
What to bring: Yourself and your ideas!
Upcoming team deadlines/timelines:
Saturday, September 17th
Robot Chassis: if you have ideas other than the Tribot, please bring your designs
Be prepared for a team discussion of mission choices, order and strategy
Monday, September 26th
Logo designs need to be in – we will be picking a logo
Food Factor Project ideas: we will be picking our research project topic
Final Robot Chassis design
Mission order and strategy decisions
Saturday, October 1st
Robot attachments for missions: initial decisions and testing
Programming: navigation based on mission choices
Monday, October 3rd
Robot attachments: final designs
Programming: finalize navigation and focus on using attachments for missions
FLL has released some important notes related to the Food Factor Project:
Q: Can we study water safety for the Food Factor Project?
A: No, water safety is an important topic, but it is not the focus of the Food Factor Project. We are asking teams to focus on a food that you eat (see page 2 of the Project document for some food categories to consider) and select a contamination or spoiling problem that might make that food unsafe to eat.
Q: The Project asks us to choose a food with fewer than 7 ingredients. Do we need to pick a food with ingredients or is it ok to choose something more simple?
A: Your team may choose something as simple as a single ingredient (like an apple or a walnut) or it may have multiple ingredients (like pasta or yogurt). If your food comes in a package, it probably lists all of the ingredients that were used to make that food. Simply count how many ingredients are listed. Once a food has more than 7 ingredients though, your team may have a difficult time learning about all of the ingredients in just 8 weeks.
Q: Are we required to choose a food we find in the home of one of our team members?
A: No, your team may choose a food you do not eat at home if you wish. We ask teams to start in their kitchens because this is a good way to start brainstorming. Just remember that your team will need to learn about all the steps your food took before being eaten. This may be more difficult if you choose a food that is unusual or one that you do not know how to prepare.
Q: Can we choose a pet food?
A: No, please focus on people food for Food Factor.
Q: What about food security?
A: Food insecurity is an important issue that faces many people around the world, and we are glad that FLL teams are thinking of ways to solve this problem. However, the Food Factor season is specifically focusing on contamination and spoiling problems that could make your food unsafe to eat. We are not addressing food security this season.
(From http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/projectfaq)
Keep thinking about topics for our project! As a reminder, the front page of our website has a Google feed for any news stories that include the word “foodborne” (look to your right!)
Keep those project and design ideas coming!
Coach Mike
2011 Food Factor Challenge Party
Tomorrow FIRST LEGO League is releasing the missions and rules for the 2011 Food Factor Challenge.
We’re having a “Challenge Release Party” for anyone on the team who can make it. We’ll have some food and take a look at the missions for the season!
Food Factor Challenge Release PARTY!
Date: Friday, September 2nd
Time: After school until 2:30 pm
Where: The Fine Residence @ 7936 Grado El Tupelo, 92009
Directions: Take Paseo Aliso south from ECC across Calle Barcelona, left on Grado El Tupelo. Our house is on the corner of Grado El Tupelo and Vista Chaparral.
Also we have our first Saturday meetings for anyone who can make it. I know it’s a three day weekend, so if you can’t make it, no problem.
Saturday Meeting
Date: Saturday, September 3rd
Time: 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM for NXTacos (RED TEAM)
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM for Bacteria Busters (BLUE TEAM)
Where: The Fine Residence @ 7936 Grado El Tupelo, 92009 (see directions above)
Thanks!
Coach Mike
p.s. REMEMBER — NO MEETING ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th (LABOR DAY)
First meeting of the new school year
We had a great summer learning to program our robots and I am very proud of the progress that everyone made. Every one of our team member can now sit down at a computer and knock out a basic program without any help.
Our next meetings will be after school on Monday, August 22nd. We will be putting together the models for the playing field. Also, remember that the last 20 minutes of the meeting will be a mandatory meeting time for team members and their parents.
Next meeting:
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Science Room #201
Blue Team (Bacteria Busters)
2:30pm-4:00pm
Red Team (NXTacos)
4:00pm – 5:30pm
See you next week!
Coach Mike
Will.I.Am and FIRST Primetime Special
Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas teamed up with FIRST founder, Dean Kamen, for a science special called “i.am.FIRST — Science is Rock and Roll”. It airs on ABC at 7:00 pm on Sunday, August 14th. It features celebrities, such as Miranda Cosgrove, Jack Black and Bono, speaking out about the importance of math and science. There will also be performances by the Black Eyed Peas and Willow Smith.
i.am.FIRST — Science is Rock and Roll
Primetime Special
Sunday, August 14th at 7:00 pm (1-hour)
ABC (KGTV 10)
Next meeting is Saturday, August 13th, 2011:
Fine Residence
7936 Grado El Tupelo
Carlsbad, CA 92009
Directions from Google Maps
NXTacos (Red Team)
9 am to 11 am
Bacteria Busters (Blue Team)
11 am to 1 pm
Amazing UCSD robot
Check our this balancing robot from the UCSD Flow Control & Coordinated Robotics Labs:
(Thanks to Anne O’Donnell for sharing this with our teams!)
Next meeting is Saturday, August 13th, 2011:
Fine Residence
7936 Grado El Tupelo
Carlsbad, CA 92009
Directions from Google Maps
NXTacos (Red Team)
9 am to 11 am
Bacteria Busters (Blue Team)
11 am to 1 pm
We will finish our summer programming and will start building the models for the Food Factor challenge field. Remember: feel free to bring a snack (or lunch) since these meetings are longer than ususal. See you there!
