First LEGO League

First LEGO League

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an international program for kids ages 9-14 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!

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James Kelly is the author of LEGO Mindstorms NXT: The Mayan Adventure (Apress, December 2006).

He was accepted as a member of the beta team for testing of the new Mindstorms NXT. He created the 1 Mindstorms NXT blog in January 2006 and it continues to draw an estimated 30,000+ readers monthly for news, updates, and information on the NXT. Readers and fans of NXT know his name and that he is actively involved in promoting the NXT as well as teaching kids and adults how to design, build, and program robots using the new kit.

Inhaltsangabe

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: What is FIRST LEGO League?
Chapter 2: How FLL Works
Chapter 3: Guidelines and Rules
Chapter 4: Finding Equipment, Mentors, and Funding
Chapter 5: Starting or Building a Team
Chapter 6: Managing Your Team
Chapter 7: The Team Experience
Chapter 8: Coaching a Team
Chapter 9: NXT vs. RIS
Chapter 10: Basic Building
Chapter 11: Building Techniques for the Robot Game
Chapter 12: Sensors
Chapter 13: Getting Organized for Programming
Chapter 14: NXT-G Programming Concepts
Chapter 15: The Project
Chapter 16: Tournaments and Beyond
Resources
Index
Updates
About the Authors