Research Project

I think that now we should be on to deciding our final research topic, because we have a limited amount of research meetings left. This way we could spend our research on something more focused and that could lead to getting further on in the project.

Research Meeting

Just so you all know, the research meeting is at my house on friday.(i can post!)

Whats in your toolbox?

Good Engineers Toolbox

Every engineer should have a set of good quality tools.

In the near future we will be building an electronic circuit board with small electronic components.

I would suggest having the following tools at a minimum:

• Soldering iron – one designed for small electronics not welding cars.
• Small needle nose pliers. * Small tipped wire cutters.
• A set of clip leads.
• A volt-ohm meter is handy to have.

I can post!

I can finally post!

Another Challenge -- this time from Clif Bar

Check out the Clif Bar 2 mile challenge: most transport impacts arise from journeys of less than 2 miles ... what if we walked or biked a few of those instead ...

http://www.2milechallenge.com/ride/

Would you take up the challenge? How could more people take it on?

Sue

Tune in to Smart Growth stories on NPR

NPR is tracking the challenges associated with growing cities, such as Houston, and the transportation and "Smart Growth" issues this raises. Houston has been taking a different approach historically to Portland.

You can hear the broadcasts on NPR Morning Edition (as you go to school) over the next few mornings or follow the stories on the web at:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112828563

Research: Do One Thing for Thursday

Come prepared on Thursday.

At the beginning of the meeting, I want your lists of the good/services you have used in a day from when you wake up to when you go to sleep.

We want your list of goods/services used and your best estimates/guesses for which communities/places they were delivered from and how far they traveled to reach you. Notice if you do or don't know the answers to these questions easily.

Goods/items used Communities/places sourced Est'd distance traveled


We will go over your lists at the beginning of the meeting at 6.30pm on Thursday.

OK so i think that the challenge should be( it can be changed later but heres a start):
1. How many transport systems can you use (like... a bus, bikes, cars, feet, tram, trains)
2. to travel as far as you can and back in 4 hours on just five dollars each
3. takes lots of pictures and map out where you go in words or map(example i took bus 5 to..... or high light where you went on a map)
4. We'll post them to our blog and compile them for a fun compilation "showing" at the competition (if FLL agrees); otherwise the compilation will be on our blog site
5. We could share are experiences/ lessons by making a blog off the blog just for that and have one person for every team be able to use it (maybe)

Balance so far...

Hi Team;

Expenses so far:
$290 FLL Registration and setup kit.
$30 Additional LEGO Tires
$30 Additional LEGO planks
$60 Local competition registration fee*
$150 Micro controller project ($30 each kit)*

Total $560 / 5 members = $112

Additional upcoming Expenses:
??? Team Shirts
??? Presentation supplies
??? Other stuff

Please be able to pay the $112 next week. Thanks.

What's intriguing YOU?

So, as we've discussed in our meetings, I'm keen to hear your ideas now ...

What are the communities, transport systems and problems that YOU care about the most? That you're most curious to learn more about? That intrigue you most? Where you think ACTION is most urgently needed?

We're beginning to build a list of the issues/intersections that YOU care about ... because who wants to spend time researching things that we don't care about?

So get your voice heard and BLOG HERE before Tuesday's meeting ...
Let's find out about each others' interests ...

As we go down this road over the next few weeks, we can keep adding to this list ...

Quite a bit later, we can see what we care about most as a group ... but for now, we're just finding out about each other and what we each find interesting ...
So post away ...

Sue

Outward Bound Challenge to the Community

Hi team

So we've had the chance to discuss together challenging other teams to take on the Outward Bound Adventure. Here's the place to post any further feedback and register your vote by Tuesday.

Based on the interest from Amiel's friend, Claire, whose team was interested to take on the challenge, here's where we are so far:

1. The simple challenge would focus on a) how many transport systems and b) how far can your FLL team travel in 8 hours on just $5?

2. Our team would invite others to share their experiences and photos

3. We'll post them to our blog and compile them for a fun compilation "showing" at the competition (if FLL agrees); otherwise the compilation will be on our web site

4. Rachel and Mitch have offered to compile our photo montage and a montage from all the final photos received; Austin our "humorous" video

5. Amy's offered to draft a format for the challenge (what to do, how to share experiences, maybe lessons learned etc)


So, let's call the question:
A. Any further feedback from the team? Suggestions? Refinements?
B. Are we go or not?

I'm all ears ...
10, 9, 8, 7, ...

Coach Sue

Shock N' Bots Calendar

Well, I got a calendar set-up. Go to http://www.google.com/calendar/ and sign in with the following account:

Email: Calendar.Shocknbots@gmail.com
Password: shocknbots (all lowercase)

For the team:
At that point you can edit the calendar to show when you might be gone, (That you know of in advance) or other important dates
~Please don't erase or modify any dates that you didn't set!~

For Marvin, Sue, or Heather (Coaches):
You can mark important dates and meetings or change previously set ones as well.

Thats it have fun calendarizering!...
~Austin~

Quiz: Wealthy and Famous

Name one person who became wealthy and famous by not sharing?

shirt

I think we should have our last names on the back of the t-shirts.

Robots Transport Elephants To Healthier, Happier Lives!

Hey team ...

Check out this innovative "transportation" device that Catlin Robotics graduates created for elephants at the Oregon Zoo recently!

Health benefits ... happiness benefits ... and a fabulous robotics engineering challenge they took in just 3.5 weeks which changed the elephants lives for the better!

See:

http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=125138855686978400

Project Assignments

Hi team

Quick reminders: the core questions you wanted to dig into for next Tuesday:

1. Given the project challenge that was just posted (http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/fll/content.aspx?id=15162 ) where have you found transportation systems that you found to be really intriguing or exciting to explore further?
- which communities did these relate to?
- which transportation systems to focus upon?
- which problems or challenges most fascinate you?

2. How have other teams' excelled in their project challenges? What "does it take to be great"?
- any insights here from what you can find? who's won awards -- and why?
- who would we ask to learn more to answer this question?

Recall that Amiel also reminded us to think beyond personal transportation systems (which we rode for 8 hours last week!) ... so how do products also reach us? water? services? "stuff"? what are the transport systems also involved here?

And, by the way, Austin can share with us what it feels like to be without his information networks for 4 days this weekend (Comcast is going offline at his house) ... remember, information is transportation in byte sizes ... so, as Austin "unplugs", he can tell us what happens to his "transportation systems" when his information highway gets shut down ...

Looking forward to next Tuesday ...

Coach Sue

QuiZ - Which Picture???

Which picture is an example of good engineering? Why?

Programming Assignments:

Each team member will demonstrate, to the team, one area of programming. Be prepared to give an example.

Jeffrey = Variables
Austin = Loops
Alexa = My Blocks (subroutines)
Amiel = Switch Block (conditional)
Mitch = Multiple Tasks

Mission Information.

Don't forget that the FLL challenges are released TOMORROW -- Thursday, September 3rd -- at 12pm ET! Check their website after 12pm ET at http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/fll for all the 2009 Smart Move details!

Is Good?

Finally, I finished a rough of the logo that I designed for this year. If you have any changes or want to submit your own idea, please contact me quickly so we can get the shirts done soon.

~Austin~