Introduction to

FIRST LEGO League

Written by: Angela Riethman Director and Leah

Cole, Asst Dir of Ohio FLL and JrFLL

Tweaked by: Dana P. Henry FIRST Senior

Mentor MA.

FIRST LEGO League

• What is FLL?

• Why FLL?

• FLL Competitions

• Program Costs

• Getting Started

FIRST LEGO League

• What is FLL?

• FIRST LEGO League is a collaboration between the LEGO Corporation and the non-profit organization FIRST (FOR INSPIRATION AND RECOGNITION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) started by Dean Kamen.

• Introduces 9 – 14 year olds to real-world engineering challenges in a fun and creative way.

• Team members can be no older than 14 years old as of January 1 of the competition season.

• World Class season: Students can be 15 after January 1, 2014 but not before.

WHY FLL?

• FLL Encourages a Team Approach! In real-life, people work in teams. Different people are good at different things so all skill sets can be utilized.

• FLL relates to real-life engineering team components when teams of 3-10 students work together to solve problems.

WHY FLL?

• Enhances Critical Thinking Skills

• Offers Real Life Application of Math and Science Skills

• Builds Communication Skills

• Promote Teamwork

• Meets and exceeds MA Science Standards (needs to accompanied by additional curriculum)

WHY FLL?

• Age Appropriate

• Students do the work

• Promotes Gracious

Professionalism®

• It’s FUN

TAKE A LOOK AT

FIRST LEGO

LEAGUE

www.usfirst.org/FLL

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/videos?id=16945

Competition BasicsThe four part competition requires a well-rounded team effort in

mechanics, programming, science, math and communication!

• Robot Performance – Robots complete missions on the playing field

– Each team competes in at least three 2.5 minute rounds

• Robot Design Judging – Teams demonstrate programming and design proficiency

• Project Judging – Teams demonstrate an understanding of the science principles

behind the challenge and offer technological solutions to a problem.

• Core Values Judging – Teams demonstrate an understanding of teamwork principles

Competition Awards • Champion’s Award

– Most prestigious award! Combines Robot Performance, Robot Design, Core Values, and Project

• Robot Performance Award – Highest score on the competition floor

• Robot Design Award(s)* – Mechanical Design

– Programming

– Strategy & Innovation

• Core Values Award(s)* – Inspiration

– Teamwork

– Gracious Professionalism

• Project Award(s)* – Research

– Innovative Solution

– Presentation

• *May be given as 1 comprehensive award or 3 individual awards

Program Costs

• Registration Fee-$225 (each year)

• Field Set up Kit -$75 (each year)

• EV3 Kit- $499(NXT Kit-$435) one time buy.

• Extra motors/sensors 19.95-34.95 ea. (varies)

• Tournament Fee- $75 (each)

• Pizza/Soda - $200 (optional)

• T-shirts - $200 (optional)

• Totals- $1434 plus shipping and handling (includes all listed items)

Getting Started(lifted right from FLL website rules….)

• Register your team– 2 YPP vetted Coaches mandatory

• Min of (2) and a max of (10) children.

• Age 9-14 in US– No team member may exceed the

maximum allowed age in your region prior to January 1 of the year the Challenge is released.

– For example, in the United States a student who turns 15 in May of 2014 would be eligible to compete in the Challenge released in August of 2014, whereas a child who turned 15 in December 2013 would not.

• Team members must make all decisions and do all the work on the Robot Game and Project. This includes deciding on strategy, building, programming, researching, choosing a problem and innovative solution, and presenting at a tournament.

– Anyone who works with the team (coaches, mentors, topic experts, parents, etc.) may teach team members new skills, handle logistics for the team, ask questions to get team members thinking, and remind them of the FLL rules. Adults play an important role in coaching and supporting their team, but the team’s robot and project should be the work of team members.

Getting started

• Robot Game– Each team’s robot must

be built in accordance with all allowable parts, software and other rules. For complete Robot rules, visit the current Challenge page.

• Project– Teams must

demonstrate completion of all three (3) steps of the FLL Project (identify a problem, develop an innovative solution, and share with others) as part of their presentation, and fulfill any other requirements as defined in the annual Project document. For complete Project rules, visit the current Challenge page.

http://www.firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2013naturesfuryhttp://www.firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2013naturesfury

Getting Started

• Core Values– We are a team.

– We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors

– We know our coaches and mentors don’t have all the answers; we learn together.

– 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 and Coopertition in everything we do.

– We have FUN!

Getting Started• Tournaments• All teams must be officially registered

and paid before they will be allowed to participate in official FLL tournaments.

• Teams may attend other events for fun (if space allows), they are only eligible to win awards at the first official event of each level attended during the season. Teams may not receive multiple chances to advance to the next level of competition.

• Teams must participate in the robot performance rounds as well as all three (3) judging sessions (Core Values, Robot Design, and Project) in order to be eligible for any FLL Core Award.

• FLL expects teams and those associated with the team to uphold and display FLL Core Values at all times, not just during Core Values judging sessions.

• All team members present at an event are required to participate in all three (3) judged sessions, in addition to showing up as a team for the Robot Game.

• Only tournament officials (judges, referees, and other tournament workers) may direct team members while judging sessions and robot matches are in progress. Any other person instructing, prompting, heckling, or otherwise interfering with a team or tournament worker during judging sessions or robot matches may be asked to leave by tournament officials. In severe cases, these activities may also affect the team’s eligibility for awards and/or participation in the tournament.

http://www.firstlegoleague.org/event/judginghttp://www.firstlegoleague.org/mission/corevalues

FLL Themes: Past and Present

2000 – Volcanic Panic: The science and safety of Volcanic Activity 2001 – Arctic Impact: Solving Global Climate Change 2002 – City Sites: Robotics Solutions for Urban Planners 2003 – Mission Mars: Colonization and the search for life on Mars 2004 – No Limits: Tackling Physical Disabilities 2005 – Ocean Odyssey: Exploring the Earth’s Oceans. 2006 – Nano Quest: Investigating the Nano World 2007 – Power Puzzle: Alternative Energy Resources 2008 – Climate Connections: Exploring the earth’s climate 2009 – Smart Move: Transforming Transportation! 2010 – Body Forward: Biomedical Engineering Solutions! 2011 – Food Factor: Protecting our Food from Contamination! 2012 – Senior Solutions: Keeping Senior Citizens active and engaged! 2013 – Nature’s Fury: Solving Natural Disasters 2014 – World Class: The Future of Education

2014 Season

The REVEAL---

26 August 2014

MA State FLL Season Timeline

• May - Team Registration Opens

• August - Challenge Reveal

• Sept/October -Tournament Registration

• November and December - Qualifying Tournaments

• December 20 2014-ROBONAUTICA- State Championship @ Worcester Polytechnic Institute

MA State FLL Season Timeline

• Each team is guaranteed a spot in one Qualifying Tournament, if registered by the event registration deadline. A second play does not improve chances for qualifying for Robonautica.

• A percentage of teams determined by FLL Operational Partner (Colleen Shaver of WPI) will move on to Robonautica.

• Teams must qualify at a Qualifying Tournament!

• Invitation only to State Championship tournament held at the WPI

• Invitation to World Festival in STL comes from FIRST HQ

More information…

• http://www.firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2

014fllworldclass

• This website covers everything there is to

know about FLL. 1st choice to go to for

information.

• http://mafll.wpi.edu/ - For event registration

and MA competition specific information

http://www.firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2014fllworldclasshttp://mafll.wpi.edu/