Robotics Jumpstart Level 1: 9/13/09

Robotics are an amazing way to introduce people, especially young people, to hands-on science and engineering. Robotics Jumpstart is the first of our community workshops: a one-day event where we can get together and goof around with some fun technology. We’ll use Lego Mindstorms NXT kits along with some activities created by Lego, Carnegie Mellon, and our own. Attendees will learn to build simple robots, write computer programs to control the robot functionality through multiple input sensors, and make it all work.

For this workshop people will work in pairs. I’ve got fifteen kits, so that’s 30 total attendees. I would especially love to see kid/adult pairs. That being said, for supervision and liability reasons, I’d like anyone under 18 to register with an adult. Young people who don’t have an available adult can be connected with people from great local organizations like Women Who Tech and DorkbotDC who would love (an excuse) to participate!

The session will be very free-form. Each pair will be provided with an NXT kit and a CD containing the tutorial activities and videos. There will be several challenges to compete in during the day.

We’ll be sure to use all the different NXT sensors and parts including:

• Input Sensors
  • Distance
  • Sound
  • Light
  • Touch
• Mechanics
  • Three Motors
  • Gears
• Lego Bits
  • Each set has a standard set of Technics-style pieces
  • Boxes of extra parts to fuel your imagination

Registration for this event is just $30 per pair to cover costs for the facility, some snacks, and materials from Lego.

Each team can use one of our NXT kits during the session, but if you’d like to bring your own consider buying it the new NXT 2.0 from Amazon. It is hardware-compatible with the NXT 1.0 sets we’ll be using.

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