Woodburn Independent Online

Mr. Roboto

• By: Lindsay Keefer  
• Published: 2/2/2010 11:27:56 AM

Photo By: Lindsay KeeferLEGO Robotics team
The LEGO Robotics team at Nellie Muir Elementary School (front row, from left), Juan Angulo, Marcus Hemshorn, Jose Padilla and Jullian Parker, was the first to represent the district at the FIRST LEGO League’s state competition in Hillsboro on Jan. 16 and 17 under the supervision of their coaches, Brian Johnson (back left) and Stephan Price.

A group of students from Nellie Muir Elementary School have gone to the state level in a competition based on toys.
 
But there’s no time for the four-member LEGO Robotics team to play. The competition, which was Jan. 16 and 17 in Hillsboro through FIRST LEGO League, requires a presentation, a teamwork exercise and a timed obstacle course for each team’s robot, the design of which is also judged.
 
This is the first time in about five years the school has even had a LEGO Robotics club, so the fact they made it to state was astonishing to Stephan Price, the group’s coordinator and school technology teacher, and Brian Johnson, the coach.
 
“I guess you could say I was pretty stunned that we did as well as we did, considering this is our first year out in four or five years,” Price said.
 
He was able to revamp the group with the assistance of Johnson, whose wife works at the school. Johnson works as a graphic designer but takes time off his job to come to meetings.
 
Nellie Muir’s presentation was based on their idea for the Smart Road, which would provide a soft landing so vehicles wouldn’t crash, slow down speeders, tilt to allow water drainage and act like an ice tray to break ice off the road.
 
Fifth-grade student Marcus Hemshorn, who was the presenter, said the actual presentation was easy.
 
“You act like (the judges) are people that you know and you talk to them like you know them,” he said.
 
Third-grade student Jullian Parker said the judges are the least of their worries.
 
“We’re most nervous about actually making a mistake or doing something that doesn’t work,” he said.
 
Another place that doesn’t allow much room for error is the LEGO obstacle course with a robot, which is primarily operated by fifth-grade students Juan Angulo and Jose Padilla.
 
“As far as robot design and how they solve the missions on the board, it’s completely open-ended. They can do whatever they want,” Johnson said. “I think we were the only team to successfully negotiate the bridge.”
 
Price said the team’s robot is much smaller than others, which actually is an advantage.
 
“Our robot has been successful because it’s small and nimble and it’s built really powerful,” he said. “The robot has to operate autonomously once it leaves the base (on the course). They’re not allowed to touch anything or control anything.”
 
The software the students use to program their robot is based off the program used to run the Mars Rover, Price said.
 
“This one is kid-friendly,” he said. “These kids are learning real-world applications that they could take to NASA or … any place they have a robot. They’ve learned an incredibly complicated programming language that I’m still not quite getting. Probably the biggest thing that this requires is persistence.”
 
From the programming to the presentation, the students run everything.
 
“This has been amazingly instructional for them,” Price said. “Brian and I have really tried to adhere to the FLL rules which say the adults don’t do anything other than coach.”

But that’s the best part, the students said.
 
“I had fun doing the LEGOs and programming,” said Juan.
 
“I think my favorite part was making all the stuff for the robot and then seeing if it works,” Jullian said.
 
“(My favorite part was) watching robots do all the crazy stuff,” echoed Jose.
 
Marcus also noted the importance of teamwork.
 
“I learned (that if you) have teamwork with your team members you’ll do better in the competition,” he said.
 
While their placement at the state competition wasn’t very high, just getting there was a big accomplishment, Price said.
 
“We are just ecstatic to get to state,” he said. “That we could come back (after a long furlough) and do so well is pretty surprising.”
 
For more information about the international program, visit www.firstlegoleague.org.

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