FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an international program for kids ages 9 to 14 that combines a hands-on, interactive robotics program and research presentation with a sports-like atmosphere. Authors James Floyd Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin-both participants in numerous FIRST LEGO League competitions-have teamed up to bring coaches, teachers, parents, and students an all-in-one guide to FLL. Written for both rookie and experienced teams, FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide includes in-depth coverage of topics like team formation and organization, robot building and programming, and the basics of getting involved with FLL. Before the authors delve into the specifics of robot and team building, they reveal the fascinating history of the FIRST organization and the sometimes puzzling structure of the FLL competition. Using a combination of real-life stories and candid commentary from actual FLL teams, as well as recollections of their own experiences, they offer an abundance of helpful guidance and dependable building and programming examples. FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide explores the complex workings and structure of the FLL competition, including its four key components: Robot Game, Technical Interview, Project, and Teamwork. You'll learn how to: Organize, recruit, and manage a team Find equipment, mentors, and funding Design, build, and program winning robots Tackle each of the four FLL components-from Robot Game to Teamwork Use strategies and techniques from FLL masters to increase your scores No matter what your role in the FLL competition, FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide will make you a better competitor, builder, designer, and team member. The only ingredient you need to add is your competitive spirit!

LEGO MINDSTORMS has changed the way we think about robotics by making it possible for anyone to build real, working robots. The latest MINDSTORMS set, EV3, is more powerful than ever, and The LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Discovery Book is the complete, beginner-friendly guide you need to get started. Begin with the basics as you build and program a simple robot to experiment with motors, sensors, and EV3 programming. Then you’ll move on to a series of increasingly sophisticated robots that will show you how to work with advanced programming techniques like data wires, variables, and custom-made programming blocks. You’ll also learn essential building techniques like how to use beams, gears, and connector blocks effectively in your own designs. Master the possibilities of the EV3 set as you build and program: –The EXPLOR3R, a wheeled vehicle that uses sensors to navigate around a room and follow lines –The FORMULA EV3 RACE CAR, a streamlined remote-controlled race car –ANTY, a six-legged walking creature that adapts its behavior to its surroundings –SK3TCHBOT, a robot that lets you play games on the EV3 screen –The SNATCH3R, a robotic arm that can autonomously find, grab, lift, and move the infrared beacon –LAVA R3X, a humanoid robot that walks and talks More than 150 building and programming challenges throughout encourage you to think creatively and apply what you’ve learned to invent your own robots. With The LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Discovery Book as your guide, you’ll be building your own out-of-this-world creations in no time! Requirements: One LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 set (LEGO SET #31313)

Design that works! It's what you need if you're building and competing with LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robotics. You'll find uses for the new light sensors and gyro sensors in navigation, helping you to follow lines and make turns more consistently. Approach collision detection with greater confidence through EV3's ultrasonic sensor. Learn new designs for power attachments. Winning Design! is about building with LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 for fun, for education, but especially for competition. Author James Trobaugh is an experienced coach and leader in the FIRST LEGO League. In this book, he shares his hard-won knowledge about design principles and techniques that contribute toward success in robotics competitions. Winning Design! unlocks the secrets of reliable design using LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3. You’ll learn proven design patterns that you can employ for common tasks such as turning, pushing, and pulling. You’ll reduce and compensate for variation in performance from battery charge levels and motor calibration differences. You’ll produce designs that won’t frustrate you by not working, but that will delight you with their reliable performance in the heat of competition. Good design is about more than just the hardware. Software counts for a lot, and Winning Design! has you covered. You’ll find chapters on program design and organization with tips on effective coding and documentation practices. You’ll learn about master programs and the needed flexibility they provide. There’s even a section on presenting your robot and software designs to the judges. Winning Design! is the book you need if you're involved in competitions such as FIRST LEGO League events. Whether coach, parent, or student, you’ll find much in this book to make your design and competition experience fun and memorable, and educational. Don't be without this book if you're leading a team of young people as they build skills toward a future in technology. What You Will Learn Build winning robots on a foundation of good chassis design Reduce variability in robot mechanical movements Design modular attachments for quick change during competition Solve navigation problems such as steering, squaring up, and collision detection Manage software using master programs and other techniques Power your robot attachments via motors and pneumatics Who This Book Is For Students, parents, teachers, and coaches involved in LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robot design and programming.

This first volume of The LEGO Power Functions Idea Book, Machines and Mechanisms, showcases small projects to build with LEGO Technic gears, motors, gadgets, and other moving elements. You’ll find hundreds of clever, buildable mechanisms, each one demonstrating a key building technique or mechanical principle. You’ll learn to build sliding doors, grasping claws, rack-and-pinion mechanisms, and ball-shooting devices of every sort! Each model includes a list of required parts and colorful photographs that guide you through the build without the need for step-by-step instructions. As you build, you’ll explore the principles of simple machines, gear systems, power translation, and more.

This proceedings volume comprises the latest achievements in research and development in educational robotics presented at the 9th International Conference on Robotics in Education (RiE) held in Qawra, St. Paul's Bay, Malta, during April 18-20, 2018. Researchers and educators will find valuable methodologies and tools for robotics in education that encourage learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) through the design, creation and programming of tangible artifacts for creating personally meaningful objects and addressing real-world societal needs. This also involves the introduction of technologies ranging from robotics platforms to programming environments and languages. Extensive evaluation results are presented that highlight the impact of robotics on the students’ interests and competence development. The presented approaches cover the whole educative range from elementary school to the university level in both formal as well as informal settings.

The LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 Idea Book explores dozens of creative ways to build amazing mechanisms with the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 set. Each model includes a list of the required parts, minimal text, and colorful photographs from multiple angles so you can re-create it without the need for step-by-step instructions. You’ll learn to build cars with real suspension, steerable crawlers, ball-shooters, grasping robotic arms, and other creative marvels. Each model demonstrates simple mechanical principles that you can use as building blocks for your own creations. Best of all, every part you need to build these machines comes in one LEGO set (#31313)!

Discover how to use the LEGO SPIKE Prime kit and boost your confidence in robotics, coding, and engineering Key FeaturesGet up and running with new parts not seen in previous LEGO kitsGain deeper insights into non-compatible sensors and components that work with all prior LEGO components and third-party elementsExplore new features and experiment with new robot builds with LEGO's new coding platformBook Description The new LEGO SPIKE Prime is one of the latest additions to the LEGO robotics line of products. This book will help you to enjoy building robots and understand how exciting robotics can be in terms of design, coding, and the expression of ideas. The book begins by taking you through a new realm of playful learning experiences designed for inventors and creators of any age. In each chapter, you'll find out how to build a creative robot, learn to bring the robot to life through code, and finally work with exercises to test what you've learned and remix the robot to suit your own unique style. Throughout the chapters, you'll build exciting new smart robots such as a handheld game, a robotic arm with a joystick, a guitar, a flying bird, a sumobot, a dragster, and a Simon Says game. By the end of this LEGO book, you'll have gained the knowledge and skills you need to build any robot that you can imagine. What you will learnDiscover how the LEGO SPIKE Prime kit works, and explore its parts and the elements inside themBuild and design robots that go beyond basic robotic designsCreate interactive robots with the help of sensorsExplore real-world robots and learn how to build them by yourselfFind out challenging ways to remix build ideas with your own imagination and skillsDevelop coding skills using the Scratch programming interfaceWho this book is for This book is for robot enthusiasts, LEGO lovers, hobbyists, educators, students, and anyone looking to learn about the new LEGO SPIKE Prime kit. The book is designed to go beyond the basic builds to intermediate and advanced builds, while also helping you to learn how to add your own personal touch to the builds and code. To make the most of this book, you'll need a basic understanding of build techniques, coding in block-based software environments, and weaving them together to create unique robot builds.

Build and program smart robots with the EV3. Key Features Efficiently build smart robots with the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Discover building techniques and programming concepts that are used by engineers to prototype robots in the real world This project-based guide will teach you how to build exciting projects such as the objecta-tracking tank, ultimate all-terrain vehicle, remote control race car, or even a GPS-navigating autonomous vehicle Book Description Smart robots are an ever-increasing part of our daily lives. With LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, you can now prototype your very own small-scale smart robot that uses specialized programming and hardware to complete a mission. EV3 is a robotics platform for enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels that makes prototyping robots accessible to all. This book will walk you through six different projects that range from intermediate to advanced level. The projects will show you building and programming techniques that are used by engineers in the real world, which will help you build your own smart robot. You'll see how to make the most of the EV3 robotics platform and build some awesome smart robots. The book starts by introducing some real-world examples of smart robots. Then, we'll walk you through six different projects and explain the features that allow these robots to make intelligent decisions. The book will guide you as you build your own object-tracking tank, a box-climbing robot, an interactive robotic shark, a quirky bipedal robot, a speedy remote control race car, and a GPS-navigating robot. By the end of this book, you'll have the skills necessary to build and program your own smart robots with EV3. What you will learn Understand the characteristics that make a robot smart Grasp proportional beacon following and use proximity sensors to track an object Discover how mechanisms such as rack-and-pinion and the worm gear work Program a custom GUI to make a robot more user friendly Make a fun and quirky interactive robot that has its own personality Get to know the principles of remote control and programming car-style steering Understand some of the mechanisms that enable a car to drive Navigate to a destination with a GPS receiver Who this book is for This book is for hobbyists, robotic engineers, and programmers who understand the basics of the EV3 programming language and are familiar with building with LEGO Technic and want to try some advanced projects. If you want to learn some new engineering techniques and take your experience with the EV3 to the next level, then this book is for you.

Discover how to use the LEGO MINDSTORMS Inventor kit and boost your confidence in robotics Key FeaturesGain confidence in building robots using creative designsLearn advanced robotic features and find out how to integrate them to build a robotWork with the block coding language used in robotics software in a practical wayBook Description LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor is the latest addition to the LEGO MINDSTORMS theme. It features unique designs that you can use to build robots, and also enable you to perform activities using the robot inventor application. You'll begin by exploring the history of LEGO MINDSTORMS, and then delve into various elements of the Inventor kit. Moving on, you'll start working on different projects which will prepare you to build a variety of smart robots. The first robotic project involves designing a claw to grab objects, and helps you to explore how a smart robot is used in everyday life and in industry. The second project revolves around building a working guitar that can be played and modified to meet the needs of the user. As you advance, you'll explore the concept of biomimicry as you discover how to build a scorpion robot. In addition to this, you'll also work on a classic robotic challenge by building a sumobot. Throughout the book, you'll come across a variety of projects that will provide you with hands-on experience in building creative robots, such as building a Dragster, Egg Decorator, and Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants. By the end of this LEGO book, you'll have got to grips with the concepts behind building a robot, and also found creative ways to integrate them using the application based on your creative insights and ideas. What you will learnDiscover how the Robot Inventor kit works, and explore its parts and the elements inside themDelve into the block coding language used to build robotsFind out how to create interactive robots with the help of sensorsUnderstand the importance of real-world robots in today's landscapeRecognize different ways to build new ideas based on existing solutionsDesign basic to advanced level robots using the Robot Inventor kitWho this book is for This book is for robot enthusiasts, LEGO lovers, hobbyists, educators, students, and anyone looking to learn about the new LEGO Robot Inventor kit. This book is designed to go beyond the basic build through to intermediate and advanced builds, and enables you to add your personal flair to the builds and codes.

Discover the many features of the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT 2.0 set. The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book is the complete, illustrated, beginner's guide to MINDSTORMS that you've been looking for. The crystal clear instructions in the Discovery Book will show you how to harness the capabilities of the NXT 2.0 set to build and program your own robots. Author and robotics instructor Laurens Valk walks you through the set, showing you how to use its various pieces, and how to use the NXT software to program robots. Interactive tutorials make it easy for you to reach an advanced level of programming as you learn to build robots that move, monitor sensors, and use advanced programming techniques like data wires and variables. You'll build eight increasingly sophisticated robots like the Strider (a six-legged walking creature), the CCC (a climbing vehicle), the Hybrid Brick Sorter (a robot that sorts by color and size), and the Snatcher (an autonomous robotic arm). Numerous building and programming challenges throughout encourage you to think creatively and to apply what you've learned as you develop the skills essential to creating your own robots. Requirements: One LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 set (#8547) Features: –A complete introduction to LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 –Building and programming instructions for eight innovative robots –50 sample programs and 72 programming challenges (ranging from easy to hard) encourage you to explore newly learned programming techniques –15 building challenges expand on the robot designs and help you develop ideas for new robots Who is this book for?This is a perfect introduction for those new to building and programming with the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 set. The book also includes intriguing robot designs and useful programming tips for more seasoned MINDSTORMS builders.