Junior Bots Challenge

This is a high level overview of our level two Junior Bot camp where students expand on LEGO robotics skills to do a shortened FIRST LEGO League season.

Day 1: Introduction to FLL and Robot Design

Objective: Introduce participants to FLL, its core values, and the basics of robot design and building.

• Morning: FLL Introduction & Core Values

  • Welcome to FIRST LEGO League: Introduction to FLL's mission and values. Discuss the competition structure (robot game, project, and core values).

  • Core Values: Discuss teamwork, discovery, and fun as part of FLL’s core values. Team-building exercises to reinforce collaboration.

• Afternoon: Robot Design Basics

  • Introduction to Robot Design: Overview of the robot design challenge. Focus on structural integrity, movement, and sensor integration.

  • Building the Robot: Start designing and building a robot using LEGO parts. Introduce basic motors, axles, beams, and sensors.

  • Programming Introduction: Introduction to the FLL robot programming environment (such as LEGO Mindstorms EV3 or Spike Prime). Create a basic program to control motor movement.

• Evening Activity: Robot Functionality Challenge: Program the robot to move forward, backward, and turn using basic motor control.

---

Day 2: Programming, Sensors, and the Robot Game

Objective: Dive into programming, sensor usage, and the FLL robot game challenges.

• Morning: Advanced Programming Concepts

  • Programming Basics Recap: Review robot movement and basic control using programming blocks (e.g., motor control, loops, waits).

  • Using Sensors: Introduce sensors such as color sensors, touch sensors, and ultrasonic sensors to the robot. Program the robot to use these sensors for more complex tasks (e.g., line following, obstacle avoidance).

• Afternoon: Robot Game Practice

  • Understanding the Robot Game: Introduction to the official FLL robot game rules. Discuss the different missions on the game mat and the scoring system.

  • Mission-Based Programming: Program the robot to complete simple missions on the FLL game mat using sensor input and motor control.

  • Trial Run: Test the robot in the competition area to simulate real game conditions.

• Evening Activity: Robot Game Practice Round: Set up the game mat and let teams run a practice round, testing out different missions and troubleshooting.

---

Day 3: The FLL Project & Presentation Skills

Objective: Begin working on the FLL Project and prepare for the presentation aspect of the competition.

• Morning: Introduction to the FLL Project

  • Understanding the Project: Introduction to the FLL project, which is based on real-world problems. Discuss the current year’s theme and mission.

  • Brainstorming Ideas: Team brainstorming session to identify a problem related to the theme. Begin researching and gathering information for the project.

  • Project Planning: Guide teams in creating a project plan, identifying research goals, and assigning tasks for the project.

• Afternoon: Project Development

  • Designing the Solution: Teams start developing their solution to the problem. Focus on innovation and practicality.

  • Presentation Preparation: Begin developing the team’s project presentation. Discuss the key components (problem, solution, innovation, and impact). Emphasize clear communication, creativity, and teamwork.

  • Mock Presentations: Each team practices their project presentation, with peer feedback for improvement.

• Evening Activity: Team Building & Reflection: Encourage teams to reflect on their project ideas and share thoughts on how to improve the presentation.

---

Day 4: Competition Preparation and Final Practice

Objective: Finalize the robot design, project presentation, and prepare for a mock competition.

• Morning: Finalizing Robot Design & Programming

  • Robot Optimization: Fine-tune the robot design. Focus on improving efficiency, accuracy, and speed for completing the missions.

  • Mission Strategy: Develop and refine strategies for completing the robot game missions. Decide on which missions the robot will focus on during the competition.

  • Final Robot Testing: Teams run final tests on their robot, ensuring it can reliably complete the missions.

• Afternoon: Finalizing the Project Presentation

  • Project Refinement: Final adjustments to the project presentation, with a focus on clarity and professionalism.

  • Robot Game Simulation: Set up a full competition simulation with timed runs and project presentations. Teams go through the full FLL competition experience, including robot game runs and presenting their project to mock judges.

• Evening Activity: Mock Competition & Feedback

  • Competition Run-through: Teams present their projects to coaches or mentors, run their robots on the game mat, and receive feedback.

  • Award Ceremony: Celebrate achievements and recognize outstanding teamwork, innovation, and effort. Encourage teams to keep up the excitement for the real competition.

---

Materials Needed:

• LEGO Mindstorms EV3 or Spike Prime kits.

• FLL Robot Game mats and mission models.

• Computers with FLL programming software (e.g., LEGO Mindstorms or Spike Prime software).

• FLL project resources (information about the season’s theme, research materials).

• Presentation materials (posters, slides, etc.).

---

Key Outcomes:

By the end of the camp, participants will have:

• Built and programmed a fully functional robot.

• Learned how to integrate sensors and optimize robot behavior.

• Developed a project based on a real-world problem.

• Gained experience in presenting and communicating their ideas effectively.

• Gained the confidence to participate in an FLL competition.