Is this a
competition?
Yes. Teams can gather for local events and state tournaments where they are recognized for
excellence in teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, design, strategy and leadership. FLL
promotes numerous solutions in a competitive, yet friendly environment as kids discover
the rewards of science and technology.
Does LEGO support this program?
Yes.
What
are the age limits?
The competition is for students ages 9 to 14.
What is the team size?
Typically 6-10 team members with a minimum of 4.
Who coaches a team?
Coaches can be parents, teachers, volunteers, or anyone who wants to help.
Does a team have to be affiliated with a school?
No. Although almost all teams are associated with a school, teams can be put together
informally or as part of an organization like scouts.
What is the cost?
The approximate cost for registration and materials is up to $600 for new teams and up to
$250 for returning teams. See Getting Started
for detailed information.
I already own a MINDSTORMS kit. Can I participate with that?
Yes, but you will need to purchase the extra pieces and the challenge kit.
What is the time frame?
Each fall, FLL announces its Challenge highlighting a current scientific or technological
problem facing the world. During the Challenge process, teams have 8 weeks to build,
program and test their own fully-autonomous robot capable of completing various
"missions". The average team, consisting of 8 players, must take on specific
roles and responsibilities in order to accomplish the Challenge.
See Getting Started for more information on registration.
How old is the program?
The program started nationally with pilot programs during the 1998/1999 school year.
The first official Louisiana State tournament was held in November 2003 at the
University of New Orleans.
How big is the program?
In 2003, more than 42,000 children participated from 48 states and 14 countries. In
Louisiana, 24 teams participated in the state's first tournament.
Is there a national tournament?
There is a national exhibition in April in conjunction with the FIRST high school robotics
program In Atlanta. A World Cup is being planned for 2004.
Does everyone participate in the state tournaments?
To make the tournaments enjoyable and manageable, tournament size is limited to about
65-70 teams. If more teams than that register, regional qualifying tournaments will be
held. Regional qualifying tournaments have not been necessary in Louisiana in the
past but may soon become necessary as the number of participating schools continue to
grow.
When is the state tournaments?
The 2005-2006 joint Louisiana/Mississippi state tournament will be held on Saturday,
January 28, 2006.
Is there curriculum available?
Not yet although there are several universities working on it.
Is training provided to coaches?
Training is provided on the national FLL site. Check the Coaching
page for information.
Is
there financial assistance available?
Yes, see tournament information.
Who sponsors and runs FLL in Louisiana?
FIRST in Louisiana is sponsored through a partnership of nonprofits, schools,
businessmen, and organizations.
B.LA.S.T. (Building Louisiana Science and
Technology) is the nonprofit umbrella organization accepting contributions to fund
the FLL challenge tournament.
Representatives of the following sit
on the steering committee:
The Bruce J. Heim Foundation
Rob Couhig
The New Orleans Center for Science and Math
Teachers from Pearl
River High
School
Tulane University
University of New Orleans
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
What kit do I need to participate in the FLL program?
To participate in FLL, new teams must purchase the FLL Rookie kit. This kit can only be
bought through the FLL program. It includes LEGO MINDSTORMS building materials, the FLL
Team Manual, both the RoboLab and the LEGO MINDSTORMS RCX Code software, the special FLL
Challenge set with extra pieces related to the FLL 2000 Challenge and a Beta version of
the LEGO MINDSTORMS RCX Code 2.0 software. When you register a team, you will receive
information on how to obtain a kit.
Can new teams who own a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotic Invention System,
purchase the veteran set?
Yes. See Forming a Team
What is the difference between the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics
Invention System (RIS) and RoboLab from LEGO Dacta?
The difference between both systems is the context in which they are used. The LEGO
MINDSTORMS RIS was designed to be used at home and RoboLab for the school
environment.
Their similarities are the building materials as well as the RCX. The major differences
relate to the programming software and instruction materials.
The LEGO MINDSTORMS RIS software (RCX Code) was made to be very open minded, colorful and
creative to encourage children to experiment and use the product. The LEGO MINDSTORMS
Constructopedia helps children design and build robotic inventions.
RoboLab is an icon driven programming language based on National Instrument's LabVIEW.
(LabVIEW is an industry standard used by thousands of companies including NASA.) Designed
specifically for education, students work through incremental levels in the software which
allows them to have success as they learn how to program. The upper levels of the language
(Inventor) give students the opportunity to work with such full programming features as
loops, while loops, conditionals, if statements, variables, music, and much more.
Installation guides accompany both the LEGO MINDSTORMS RCX Code and the RoboLab
software.
Should teachers who participate in FLL use the RoboLab software?
The FLL program is
designed to work with both RoboLab and RCX Code. The teacher should use whichever software
they feel most comfortable with.
