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New resource for FIRST LEGO League Coaches
 The 2008-09 FIRST LEGO League season is underway and a new resource has recently come on the market that can help rookie and experienced FLL coaches alike.
FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide co authored by James Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin (both from http://thenextstp.blogspot.com) explores over a dozen topics related to facilitating an FLL team to help run a successful FLL season.
MINDSTORMS.com recently talked to Jim and Jonathan about the book:
How did the idea for the book come about?
Jim: Jonathan and I were both hearing the same concern about the lack of training materials for FLL. Much of the information available for coaches and team members is scattered among various web sites and discussion forums and we believed a book could be used to provide a head-start for new teams and more help for veteran teams. We approached No Starch (publisher of the Idea Book that we both contributed robots to) and they were interested and helped us formulate the topics that would be covered.
Is the book really useful to both rookie and experienced teams?
Jonathan: Absolutely! We wrote this book to cover both basic and advanced material. Some of the basic material includes discussion about how the FLL competition works, how to form a new team, and other things that rookie teams or teams-to-be can benefit from. More advanced topics include fundraising and how to do well in tournament judging sessions. Our building and programming tips also range from basic to advanced.
What topics does the book cover?
Jim: We decided to use the book to cover everything from the start of the FLL season to the day after the final competition (whether local, regional, or international). Topics include a history of FIRST and FLL and how to examine the rules for each new season. We provide details on forming a team, organizing, and managing a group. A few chapters cover the basics of building and programming and we hope we've provided some solid background and theory that can be used by all teams to focus their experiments and testing. We also felt it was important to cover those aspects of competition that don't always get as much attention as the Robot competition - the Project and Presentation aspects as well as various judging roles that all competitors should understand. We end the book with some wrap-up discussion on the season and suggestions on reviewing the season and finding the high-points to celebrate - it's all about the experiences you have during the season and using what you've learned to help you not only next year but in all areas of your education.
Was it difficult writing a book with two authors not living in the same place?
Jonathan: Not really; e-mails and phone calls worked out fine for us. After deciding what material we wanted to cover in the book, we split up the chapters between us. We'd each work on our chapters mostly by ourselves. When one of us finished a chapter, the other author would review and edit it before passing it on to the publisher.
What is the book's overall goal?
Jim: We wanted to provide an A-to-Z guide for all things related to FLL. While it's impossible to include everything, our goal quickly became to make certain there was enough information in the book for a new coach or parent to register a team, organize a team, and give them a reasonable chance to compete against experienced teams - this included giving enough information on all aspects of FLL and not just the Robot Game. We also wanted to give experienced teams some possible new ways of looking at the competition and maybe some new ways to attack the missions. One of our main purposes for the book was to provide something that could be read, cover-to-cover, and give anyone a solid understanding of FLL.
Our last question is for Jonathan. How do you like being a published author at age 16?Jonathan: It's really exciting... and a lot of work! Since we were trying to get the book out quickly in time for the next FLL season, and since we were writing most of it during the school year, it was definitely one of the busiest times of my life. It's been a great experience, though, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to do it.
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MINDSTORMS NXT Cool Creature Building Challenge
 What can be more fun than a barrel full of monkeys? A barrel full of NXT monkeys! We've had Biped, Quadruped, and even Bug Bot challenges on NXTLOG, but now we want you to have lots of fun and build the coolest creature on the planet.
"Creature" for this contest means animals of any sort. So go out and build the most creative robotic animal you can imagine. Spike can't be the only NXT creature around.
You have until Friday October 31, 2008 to enter your robot.
See the Cool Creature Building Challenge NXTLOG for more details.
Happy Building!
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The NXTLOG Summer Sports Challenge Winners are in!
 Over 90 NXTLOGgers entered the Summer Sports Building Challenge, designing robots that resemble real-life athletes in competition. We saw robotic gymnasts, boxers, ball players, runners, swimmers, and many other robots playing summer sports - but only a few can win the gold! Please visit, comment, rate, and get inspired by all the robots in this challenge by entering the tag "nxt200808"
Here are the winners:
CHAMPION'S AWARD
NXT Gymnast
Created by:
LeoBello
The NXT Gymnast created by LeoBello is a robot that can compete in the Uneven Bars competition. There are 2 motors for the arms and 2 for the legs (but the NXT has only 3 ports so only one leg is powered). The movie that LeoBello includes with this project shows the robot performing an Uneven Bar routine with great skill and grace. We award the NXT Gymnast a 10.0! (Also see LeoBello's 2nd Summer Sports Challenge entry: NXT Basketball Player)
ROBOT DESIGN AWARD
Equestrian Mark 2
Created by:
_Dragongirl_
_Dragongirl_ entered 2 robots in the Summer Sports Challenge, and Equestrian Mark 2 is an improved version of _Dragongirl_'s first Equestrian robot design. _Dragongirl_ got some help from her dad (adimitrov) to create a robotic horse that can compete in an Equestrian competition. Her first robot had one motor and a detached NXT, while this version sports 2 motors (one is just for show), an onboard NXT, and a creative use of wire as a "bridle." A video of the robot in action shows that this horse can gallop! We appreciate _Dragongirl_'s detailed NXTLOG documentation and dedication in improving her robot. _Dragongirl_ wins the gold in Robot Design!
ROBOT PERFORMANCE AWARD
100 meters, The Ultimate Race
Created by: NeXTSTORM
Under the bright light of the Olympic flame, the greatest runners of the world are ready for a drag race from the gun shot to the tape. NeXTSTORM designed the "Ultimate Race" where one NXT powers a number of minifig runners racing down a LEGO track in a LEGO stadium powered by intelligent programming so you never know who is going to win! The "Ultimate Race" ends with a fiesta of great LEGO fireworks bursting in sky. For NeXTSTORM's awesome design and programming, the "Ultimate Race" is presented with the Robot Performance Award. (This is NeXTSTORM's 9th project on NXTLOG.)
CREATIVE USE OF NXTLOG AWARD
Dexter does the Olympics.
Created by:
STARMAN71
STARMAN71 uses NXTLOG in a creative way by repurposing a robot previously submitted for the Biped Challenge. This biped, "Dexter," is desgned to enter the Power Walking competition. Power Walking is a fast walk over great distances where the walker has to have one foot on the floor at all times, a task that Dexter does very well. STARMAN71 made Dexter walk faster by changing the gears in the legs and altering the program. STARMAN71 also uses a Power Point presentation to count down the starting sequence for Dexter to "Go." (STARMAN71 has 5 projects on NXTLOG and 3 projects entered in the Summer Sports Challenge.)
HONORABLE MENTION(S)
Kayaker-Bot
Created by: Geo526468
John the Gymnast
Created by: STARMAN71
swimmer
Created by: artificialintelligence
Baskebot
Created by: alemaster123
swimming robot
Created by: dragonk1997
Rapier 2.0 "CHARGE!"
Created by: bry5
JudgeBot
Created by: abcde13
The Brickbusters(with the boxing bot)
Created by: RrangerRick
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MINDSTORMS NXT and yellow marshmallow treats in near space?
 What happens when you send yellow marshmallow treats into near space? And what would happen when they land in the hot Nevada desert? That’s what some 4th grade students from Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA wished to investigate as part of the High Altitude LEGO Extravaganza (H.A.L.E.) project last week in Reno, Nevada.
Under the leadership of Shady Hill science teachers Barbara Bratzel and Jeanne McDermott as well as Chris Rogers and Susan Tse from Tufts University, the 4th grade students used the yellow marshmallows to measure temperature and pressure during the mission.
“We ran some tests on Earth with the students--putting the yellow marshmallow treats in a small vacuum chamber, a freezer, and a solar oven--to simulate the conditions they would be exposed to in space and after landing. The kids then made sketches and wrote predictions of what they thought the yellow marshmallow treats would look like when they returned,” says Bratzel.
The students’ payload carried an off the shelf pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, as well as a "marshmallow-o-meter" where a yellow marshmallow is anchored in a LEGO cage with a MINDSTORMS NXT Ultrasonic Sensor to measure its expansion. The "marshmallow-o-meter" was designed and built by high school student and Shady Hill School alumni Eric Mukherjee. A NXT brick was also used to record the data. The payload was contained in a styrofoam container for insulation and cushioning.
The yellow marshmallows traveled up to 99,570 feet last Tuesday before being recovered in the Nevada desert. The NXT and marshmallow payload is now on its way (via snail mail) back to the students at Shady Hill School. The fourth graders (who will now be fifth graders) will examine the temperature and pressure data and present their findings to their school.
The students are curious to see what happens to their treats. Some students think that the marshmallows will swell up when the pressure is low but shrink back to their original size upon returning to Earth. Some of the students think that they will become wrinkled or that some of the yellow sugar will fall off. Some students think (hope!) that the marshmallows will explode when the pressure is very low.
The students aren’t going to eat any of the yellow marshmallow treats that went into space when they are returned to them, but they enjoyed eating them during their experimentation before the H.A.L.E. launch!
You can learn more about all the H.A.L.E. missions by visiting: http://www.unr.edu/nevadasat/HALE/
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Winners of the LEGO Club Magazine MINDSTORMS drawing contest
 This year it is 10 years ago LEGO MINDSTORMS was first launched, so we want to celebrate the anniversary. As part of the celebration we have run a drawing competition in the March issue of LEGO Club Magazine: LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT “Visions of the Future”, where you should draw your MINDSTORMS robot of the future - how would LEGO robots look like in the future?
We have received well over 3000 fantastic drawings from users from age 6 to early 20's, so it has been very hard to choose the 10 winners! Thanks to all of you who entered a drawing for this contest.
Here are the lucky ones who will receive a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT set (#8527).
Congratulations, winners, and thank you for your drawings of future LEGO MINDSTORMS robots!!
The LEGO MINDSTORMS team
Note: all winners will be notified by regular US mail.
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Winners of the LEGO Club Magazine MINDSTORMS drawing contest (#6 to #10)
 Here are #6 to #10.
A big congratulations!
The LEGO MINDSTORMS team
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LEGO MINDSTORMS Events
July 1 - Aug 31 - MINDSTORMS NXT Summer Sports Building Challenge on NXTLOG
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LEGO MINDSTORMS Press Releases
For the latest Press Releases and Image Library, Click Here
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