The Afternoon Team, Thursday, September 23rd

THE TEAM PROJECT

Coach Lenora presented information about the team project. The First Lego League defines the project for this year as follows:

"Your challenge this season is to explore the cutting-edge world of Biomedical Engineering to discover innovative ways to repair injuries; overcome illnesses and disabilities; and build healthier, stronger bodies. Once you know how scientists, engineers, and doctors work together to find solutions, do some research. What kinds of problems keep people from leading happy and healthy lives? How could your team help solve one of those problems?"

Explaining biomedical engineering concepts to fourth and fifth graders is quite a challenge. Coach Lenora's husband, Tom, came in to tell the team about his experience when he fractured his heel bone. He had a metal plate and eleven screws installed in his heel bone. Coach Lenora explained how the accident occurred, and how Tom's recovery progressed. He is still having pain in the foot, but it is manageable now.

Coach Lenora Explains the Team Project Challenge

The team members must choose a topic for their project presentation -- a five-minute description of their bioengineering proposal for the judges at the tournament in November. The team project may be more of a challenge than the robot programming.

ROBOT DEVELOPMENT
Cayden, Emma, Charlie, and William worked on making the robot perform the Rapid Blood Screening mission, which involves moving from the base and pushing a lever to cause the simulated syringe to roll to the collection area. Emma and Cayden were each able to modify the robot to make it correctly activate the lever that launches the syringe.

During the discussion before the robot building, team members took notes and made drawings to help with the design. Drawings and notes will become crucial in the future design process.

Cayden's Table Drawing

The Rapid Blood Screening mission is one of fifteen missions in the tournament. It is worth 25 points in the scoring. Probably no team in the competition will complete all fifteen missions. Our team members will have to decide what missions they want to attempt. Each team member will have an opportunity to participate in the tournament robot competition. And each team member will design and program their own missions.