NVMS FLL 2013 Competition Season

The official season for Niu Valley Middle School students began in late August after a summer of preparatory robotics projects for continuing students.

Senior Sollutions Challenge Video (Windows Media File)

Summer Session Lego League Kickoff

Several students from last year asked us to mentor again, so of course we said yes. We're focusing on robotics skills (sensing, manipulation, and programming) for this summer program.

We met with parents and students today to kick off the summer preparatory work for FIRST Lego League team 1963.

Summer Session

Andrea and I started coaching the summer session of Lego League on Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.

Science teacher Janet Itano opened up for us.

We had two boys and two girls this time.

On Saturday, June 15^th, Andrea and I coached the summer session of Lego League.

We had three boys attend this day. Zack completed the touch sensor project.

Zack adjusts his robot program.

Timed test of battery replacement. A battery replaceable in 10 seconds was a design requirement.

Justin tests his robot.

Saturday the 22^nd it was just Dylan and Zack.

Saturday the 28^th we had four students.

The students made progress on their sensor programming challenges.

Andrea and I continued supporting robotics students during the weekend following Independence Day, starting Saturday, July 6 ^th.

We did the usual Lego League class on Saturday afternoon. Three students came this time. Here Zack tests his robot.

The kids worked on their robots.

Saturday afternoon, July 13^th we had two students for Lego League summer program.

Andrea and I went to Niu Valley Middle School for the Saturday summer session on July 27^th.

For the first 15 minutes we had four students.

Then two more showed up for a total of six.

At the end of the session the students demonstrated their robots. Photo by Andrea.

Justin's robot following the line with its light sensor. The color sensor is looking for the green crossing line. Photo by Andrea.

Saturday, August 10^th, the Lego League team met to clean up our new dedicated area that the school provided for us.

Our newly cleaned Lego League area. Photo by Andrea.

The students work on banner designs.

Saturday, August 17^th. We met at Niu Valley Middle School with parents and new students for the new
school year Lego League team sixth graders.

2013 New School Year

The first school session for the new and returning students was held on Tuesday, August 20^th.

On Tuesday we met with the Lego League students. We paired the continuing students with the new students.

The veterans taught the newbies Lego Mindstorms programming.

Coach Mike has a granddaughter at NVMS (but not in robotics) and he volunteered to help.

On Thursday we again coached Lego League.

Kids test their robots.

Veteran team members were paired with new students for programming lessons.

Playing Field Assembly

On Saturday, August 31^st, we held a special three hour session to assemble the playing field.

The field was assmbled in under two hours and the students started working on the missions.

September

This month's Lego League began on Tuesday, September 3^rd.

Students worked on robot mission strategy.

Lego League Field Trip to the Emergency Operations Center

Andrea and I took the team (along with teacher Janet, Coach Mike, and three parent drivers) to the State Emergency Operations Center in Diamond Head Crater on Thursday, September 5^th.

At the entrance to the undeground bunker.

Inside the bunker.

In the conference room for a presentation by Danny.

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

On Saturday, September 7^th, we took the Lego League team to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for a lecture and tour by Dr. Wang.

First Dr. Wang gave the students a slide presentation with video animations on the general topic of tsunamis.

Forecast model showing wave intensity focused on the Hawaiian Islands.

Then we went into the operations center.

Dr. Wang showed the students how their software program can produce a tsunami forcast in about three seconds.

Dr. Wang has become a resource for the team. Mahalo!

On Tuesday, September 10^th, we coached Lego League. The students elected four subteam captains for the robot build.

The subteam captains then chose up their members and started building four tracked robots. Photo by Andrea.

on Tuesday, September 14^th, Andrea and coached the Lego League team at NVMS.

Tuesday was a day spent working on robots.

On Saturday, September 14^th, we left the Kalani VEX Tournament to coach Lego League before returning to the tournament.

The four subteams build four robots.

This subteam is hard at work.

Next Tuesday was robot day at NVMS Lego League.

The four subteams continued on their parallel robot build.

Andrea and I coached NVMS Lego League as usual on Saturday, September 28^th.

The first hour was spent working on the Tsunami Care Center project.

The second hour was spent working on the robot missions.

All the students are totally engaged.

October

On Tuesday, October 1^st Mike and I coached Lego League in the afternoon. Photo by Coach Mike.

Students worked on robots. Photo by Coach Mike.

Time flies when you're having fun. Photo by Coach Mike.

Robot testing on the field. Photo by Coach Mike.

On Thursday I coached Lego League again with Coach Mike at NVMS.

We had Lego League as usual on Tuesday, October 15^th.

We added Wednesdays to Lego League because it's getting close to the November tournament and we have lots to do.

Testing robots on the field.

Coaching Lego League continued. We met again on Tuesday, October 22^nd.

Students narrowed the design down to one type and worked to convert two robots to that design for parallel mission work.

On Thursday we worked on the project.

On Saturday afternoon, October 26^th, Andrea and I coached Lego League.

Amanda from the veteran's volunteer group Team Rubicon came and spoke to the students about disaster recovery operations.

November

On Saturday we coached Lego League, as usual. The students got down to one robot with all the mission programs on it.

The drive team worked on robot missions.

The whole team worked on presentations upstairs.

These are the three identical robots the subteams built for parallel mission development. Wednesday, November 6^th.
Click on the image to see the full resolution version.

Two yearbook photographers came by to take pictures of the team. Thursday, November 7^th.

The drive team at work. Thursday, November 7^th.

Second rehearsal of the project presentation for the afternoon. Thursday, November 7^th.

Andrea took the team photo on our last practice with a parent audience. Saturday, November 9^th.

After the team photo Andrea took this goofy one.

Shannon and Krystal presented leis to honored guests and introduced the team. State Legislature Representative Mark
Hashim came later and watched the team practice with the robots. Saturday, November 9^th.

FIRST Lego League Qualifying Tornament at Kalani High School

The big day arrived on Monday, November 11^th, Veteran's Day.

Kalani Robotics set up a green screen to photograph the teams. Aina Haina Elementary got theirs first. Coincidentally
the JagBots later won the Championship Award.

At the practice field in the cafeteria. Photo by Andrea.

The team heads toward building C for the judge interviews.

Andrea and two parents wait outside.

Some student artwork on a retaining wall toward the back of the school property.

The Lightning Lancers, FLL 1963, got their picture with the green screen after the judging interviews.

The finished green screen photo. Scanned from hard copy, 4 x 6 inch at 200 pixels/inch for 800 x 1200 pixels.

Eating Oreo cookies after the bento lunches. Photo by Andrea.

Preparing for the robot field competition, our marketing team handed out penants to the crowd.

Our first of three robot competition trials. Photo by Andrea.

We're having fun, which is the main thing. Photo by Andrea.

After the competition, the Kalani Robotics students demonstrateed some of their robots.

Email: Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com