YOUTH ROVER CHALLENGE

The Mars Society

Agenda

Overview & Goal Program Objectives The Model Rover The Sandbox Basic Guidelines Qualification Process Regional Competitions Q&A

What is Youth Rover?

Youth Rover (YRC) is a LEGO robotic challenge designed for ages 10-17

The Primary goal is “to have younger students excited, engaged, and focused on a robot program with a strong Mars flavor prior to university level programs”

Benefits include positive side effects that are support common STEM goals

Program Objectives Develop a repeatable program most any

school or group can participate with (Schools, Scouts, Individual Teams)

Increase likely hood of participation by having cost efficient structure/meansLess than $500 USD total for a teamProposed Rental program less than $250 USD

Create a very strong following using web, social media, and organizations that can enable pride in participating

The Model Rover – YRC13 ‘13 model built from

LEGO NXT 2.0 Uses 90% from LEGO

Education Kits LDD (Lego Digital

Designer) software

YRC13v3

• Designed by German Automotive R&D Engineer Stefan Rolf• Clean Flexible Design for a “JPL” feel• Durable yet simple to build (170 +/- Parts)

The Sandbox

8’ x 8’ Area for testing and qualification Designed to ensure each team can

remotely replicate the area for where the rover will operate and complete tasks

Requires only basic tools and materials available at any hardware store

Built so that it can be recycled into a permanent garden or removed easily

A1

B1

C1

D1

E1

F1

G1

H1

A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8

B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8

C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8

D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8

E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E8E7

F2 F3 F4 F5 F7F6 F8

G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8

H3H2 H6H5H4 H8H7

Basic Guidelines

Junior Varsity and Varsity LevelJr. Varsity – Grade/middle school grades 5-8Varsity - High school grades 9-12State based region based on geography

Team of five (5) people for each team(adult) Sponsor / Teacher / Troop leader(child) Team Leader / Organizer(child) Robot Engineer(child) Software Engineer(child) One Videographer/Writer

Qualification Process

1. Enrollment online with team information

2. Acquire the LEGO kit parts needed

3. Build the 8’ x 8’ Sandbox with materials

4. Build the rover with the v1 LDD file

5. Configure the rover with program

6. Test the 3 configurations in the sandbox

7. Videotape the each of the configurations operating their tasks in the sandbox

8. Upload the final videos of each configuration to the YouthRover.com site

Regional Competitions

Held March-April 2014 Timeframe Up to 3 teams invited from each region Regionals will be held at following space

related locations: (indoor / outdoor)East – Goddard Space CenterSouth – Cape CanaveralCentral – Adler PlanetariumWest – JPL Headquarters

Possible Final Four at 17th Annual TMS

Q&A

Learn more about YRC’13 STEM Event Booth YouthRover.com Social Assets:

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