The Challenge
2009 -2010 Smart MoveTransforming Transportation
Can FIRST LEGO League teams transform the way we look at
transportation? The key to the 2009 “Smart Move” Challenge is accessing
people, places, goods and services in the safest, most efficient way
possible. In this journey, teams will consider many modes of
transportation beyond their daily routine and streamline their options
by making smart moves!
Click here for the Smart Move Challenge Overview and links to the Project and the Robot Game.
Past Challenges
Each year, FLL creates a new challenge and a new theme. Some of the
past themes have been Space Exploration, Volcanic Panic, Artic Impact,
City Sights, and Mission Mars. The specific tasks the robot must
accomplish are based on the theme for that year. The kids will also
explain their robot and be asked to give a creative presentation to
explain how robots could be used to benefit humans
in ways based on the theme.
There are several sections to each year's challenge:
Robot Tasks
In this part of the challenge, the task is to build and program a
working, autonomous robot to perform real world tasks. Of course
this only a simulation, but the tasks are real and the design
challenges and mental processes are real. The kids learn to build
a robot that can help retrieve ice core samples on a future Mars
mission, rescue stranded scientists trapped on an ice flow in the
arctic, place scientific instrument packages in an active volcano and
many other tasks, all with real world problems to solve. Using
pieces from the LEGO Mindstorms kit and programming the robot on the
computer, the kids develop a working robot that performs its task all
by itself, with no remote control.
Technical Interview
An interview takes place the day of the competition and lasts about 10
minutes. The team members can present the key features of the
robot and software. This is followed by questions about the mechanical
ideas they used, and the software solutions they employed. The
kids love to talk about what they did, and it opens up a discussion
that the judges and the kids get excited about.
Project (Formerly the Research Assignment)
Using the theme for that year, the team is asked to relate how a robot
could be used to help solve actual real world problems. Each year
the project is a little different, but the team is asked to brainstorm
ideas and find practical (though often far out) ideas to solve real
world problems, now or in the future. These ideas are then put
into a 5 minute presentation or skit to explain the
project selected to the judges. This format provides a great deal
of freedom and the skills and talents of the kids can really shine.
Past Challenges:
(Click here for links to information about Past Challenges)
2008 - Climate Connections
Embark on an exploration of the earth's climate in the FIRST
LEGO League's 2008 Climate Connections Challenge! Discover the links
between science, people, resources and communities. Unearth how we
learn about past climates and delve into questions surrounding our
current and future climate conditions. Join FIRST LEGO League teams in
creating a global game plan as they make these Climate Connections!
2007 - Power Puzzle
How
do our personal energy choices to heat our homes, fuel our cars, charge
our cell phones, power our computers, or even download music to our
iPods impact the environment, economy, and life around the globe? Which
resources should we use and why? Explore how energy production and
consumption choices affect the planet and our quality of life today,
tomorrow, and for future generations. Can FIRST LEGO League teams find
the ultimate solution to this global Power Puzzle?
2006 - Nano Quest
There is a new frontier that will impact every facet of society, from
medicine to computers to the environment. As visionaries and
scientists, the 2006 FIRST LEGO League teams explored unimaginably
amazing new technologies that start in the Nano world and lead to the
things we do and use every day.
Teams discovered the
secrets of everyday stuff through this cutting edge field of research,
where carbon Nanotubes, Buckyballs, molecular motors and quantum dots
will be considered part of daily conversations. Sure it sounds like
science fiction, but the future has arrived!
2005 - Ocean Odyssey
FIRST LEGO League travels into the depths of the ocean to explore the
mysteries that lie below. The oceans are of vital importance to the
health of the Earth and to everyone that lives on this planet; yet only
1% of these magnificent bodies of water have been studied.
2004 - No Limits
Many people have difficulty moving or walking, or trouble reading a
distant sign or climbing stairs. In NO LIMITS, FLL teams will find ways
to help people with different levels of physical ability.
2003 - Mission Mars
Unlock the fascinating world that lives in MISSION MARS, and experience
similar challenges encountered by the scientists and space engineers.
2002 - City Sights
Explore the challenges that urban planners face every day in
order to provide basic services such as clean water, a safe
environment, education, sustainable energy, and venues to the
inhabitants of the city.
2001 - Artic Impact
Forget the shorts and suntan oil - we're going North - way North! Get
ready for the dangerous world of icebergs, frostbite, carnivorous
animals and mile-high slushies! Grab your mittens and stay cool with
FLL in the biggest snow squall of the century!.
2000 - Volcanic Panic
Takes on a whole new meaning. We wake a sleeping giant like you've never seen before!
Start running because the lava is coming and it's coming FAST!
1999 - First Contact
Which includes, Mission Objectives, and 3-D drawings of this years
Playing Field, plus hear special messages from FIRST Founder, Dean
Kamen and Astronaut, Dan Barry.
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"The workplace of today and especially tomorrow needs a diverse group of individuals who are comfortable solving complex technical problems in a team setting. It is rewarding to see these skills demonstrated in abundance with such passion in the FIRST LEGO League."
-Dennis Roberson
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