Oregon Robotics Tournament and Outreach Program

1. 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

2. Instructor Contacts Ken Cone ken_cone@ous.edu 503-821-1134 Jim Ryan james.r.ryan@intel.com 971-215-6087 Dale Jordan Dale_A_Jordan@msn.com Roger Swanson swanson@hevanet.com 503-297-1824

3. ORTOP Project Administrator Cathy Swider Cathy_Swider@ous.edu (503) 821-1136

4. Today’s Goals • Focus on being a coach or mentor using Mindstorm NXT robotics kits • I hope you leave: • 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!!

5. Agenda • 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

6. We’re asking you to help us! Our Mission • Program not just about building robots and competing in tournaments • Teach skills • 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

7. Forming Your Team

8. Where Teams Come From • School Based • 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 • Club Based • Probably after school or evening • Independent team • After school, evenings, or weekends • We encourage you to find and include youngsters that normally would not have this exposure

9. Where to Meet • 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 • Challenge table • Partially built robot • Lego parts

10. Team size • High initial interest may fade • Sub-teams of 2-3 can work in parallel • 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

11. You Need Adults, Too! • Coach – The person in charge • Organizes the team • Does not need to be a techie • Mentor – The technical guru • Provides technical advice • Provides the technical basics • One person can play both roles • But, don’t go it alone • Recruit other adults to supervise sub-teams

12. Coach – The Person in Charge • Single point of contact for team • Understands the FLL and ORTOP programs • Management expertise more important than technical expertise • Recruits the team • Registers the team • Arranges for equipment • Schedules meetings • Sets the philosophy and instills team spirit • Is a good role model

13. Mentor – The Technical Guru • Technical Advisor to assist the coach • Teaches both robot design and programming • Helps set achievable goals • Encourages structured problem solving • Follow typical engineering project models • Experiment with one variable at a time • Graduates of FLL can work as mentors

14. General Advice to All Adults • 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

15. FLL Team Promise • 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.

16. Registering Your Team

17. Team Registration • 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!!

18. Purchases at FLL Registration • 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

19. ORTOP State Registration • Takes place October 1-10, 2008 • $50 fee for ORTOP • We notify all coaches that have registered with FLL in Oregon and SW Washington • Provide list of local tournaments • Ask for 3 local tournament choices in priority order • We assign teams to local tournaments • Register early!!

20. Equipping Your Team

21. Minimum Resources to Start • A robotics kit • A computer with Windows XP or Vista • A place to meet and practice • Classroom • Family room • Garage • Community Room

22. Additional Resources • 2008 FLL “Climate Connections” Field Setup kit (only from FLL) • Mission Model Set • Field Mat • Practice table (design on FLL website) • http://www.firstlegoleague.org/default.aspx?pid=11330 • 4’x8’ bottom • Railing around the sides • Overhead light

23. Robotics Kit Info • RCX-based kits • 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 • Brand new in 2006 • $365 if ordered during FLL registration • Ship to registered teams starting in mid-May

24. Robotics Kit Info – NXT-Based • FLL NXT -- $365 • Complete kit with two tubs and sorting trays • NXT software • LEGO Education NXT Base Set -- $260 • Fewer parts with one tub and sorting trays • No software • LEGO Retail -- $249.99-260 • Fewer parts with no sorting trays • Includes NXT software

25. Allowed NXT Robot Parts • 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)      

26. Team Uniforms?? • Many teams do something for the tournaments • Team shirts, hats, etc • Theme clothing • Team sponsor advertising on a T-shirt, etc. is OK

27. Example Team Budget • 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

28. 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

29. ORTOP Scholarships • 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

30. Scholarship Expectations • 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.

31. Managing Your Team

32. Meeting Organization • How often and how long to meet • 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

33. Team Kick-off Meeting • Every child brings parent/guardian • Set expectations with both • Send kids off to build with LEGOs • Get assistant to help • Build with instructions, like the Constructopedia • Something they can all do at once • Explain the real situation to the parents

34. Parent Involvement • Explain program/FLL philosophy • Success = Participation • Explain team rules • Discuss participation commitment for kids • Review costs and funding sources • Communicate about tournament • Solicit help

35. Getting Started with the Kids • Set Team Goals • Decide responsibilities • Can rotate, especially near beginning • Usually will want to be fixed as near tournament • Need backup roles due to absences • Set milestones – use project management analogy • Set dates for each phase of project to keep on track • Include design, build, test, REWORK • Encourage participation in a team environment

36. Learning Opportunities • Encourage risk taking • 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

37. Facilitate Structured Problem Solving • Defining problem • Brainstorming • Evaluating alternatives • Choosing alternative • Implementing • Evaluating & testing

38. Hard vs.. Soft Skills • Hard Skills • Mechanical Design • Programming • Analysis • Problem Solving • Experimentation • Documentation • Soft Skills • Timeliness • Teamwork • Tact and Compromise • Confidence • Courtesy • Perseverance • Planning Turn these youth into little engineers

39. Build a Foundation • Introduce techniques and concepts • 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

40. Sample Concepts • Pick one or two new subjects per session • 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

41. Divide and conquer • Three basic robot functions: • Locomotion: how the robot moves • Navigation: how it knows where to go • Robotic Action: function it performs

42. Locomotion • Motors • Gears/pulleys • Wheels/tracks • Steering • Friction

43. Navigation • Time, but sensitive to battery charge • Touch Sensors • Means of triggering • Pressed vs. release • Light Sensors • Light levels • Darker/lighter • Calibrating thresholds • Rotation sensor

44. Robotic Action • Pushing • Grabbing • Lifting • Dumping

45. With All the Focus on the Robot and the Challenge… Don’t Forget the Judging

46. Technical Judging – 25% • Panel of “experts” interviews teams • Robot design: Creativity and robustness • Programming: Creativity and robustness • Prepare the team to: • Explain their design of the robot and its program • Demonstrate at least one mission on the challenge field • Bring a printout of the program

47. Presentation Judging – 25% • Don’t ignore it • Another good learning opportunity • Research skills and presentation skills (remember the marketing kid? ) • Good engineering requires research and communication • Format – includes setup time • 5 minute presentation, 5 minute interview • Posterboards, skits, models, Powerpoint, . . .

48. Teamwork Judging – 25% • A separate 10 minute judging session • No presentation is expected • Judges interact with teams to evaluate their teamwork abilities

49. Sources of ideas • Constructopedias/Manuals/Guides • NXT Software Tutorial • Books – http://www.ortop.org/res.htm#books • Web links – http://www.ortop.org/res.htm#links • Lego • FIRST • INSciTE -- Minnesota FLL • Tufts University – Inventor of Robolab • NXT is new so not all resources are NXT specific – still useful for general techniques • Art of Lego • CMU • Best Practices

50. Our Mailing Lists • ortopvol • All volunteers – you can opt out • One way from ORTOP to our volunteers • We add you when you volunteer • ortopcoaches • You are added when you register your team with FLL • Communication from ORTOP to registered coaches – very important channel