"The Way of the Robot"

So an update for that National Robotics thingy I mentioned a while back. In order to get the kids to come up with designs to complete this year's challenge, we instructors came up with some designs to inspire them.

So I went ahead and built robots. LEGO robots. For work. As work.

Best. Job. Ever. Well, almost, second only to actually working at LEGO.

Half of the challenge is to build bots that can surmount 3cm-tall walls. Which is actually quite a bit when it comes to LEGO scale.

I designed and built this one this morning at the shop, in about an hour and a half. Funny thing is that I've been wanting to build a Command & Conquer Mammoth Tank-style bot for years now. Never thought that I'd finally be doing it at work. And it performs its climbing task quite splendidly too.

Now this one, this one is mine. As in, designed and built with my own personal parts and NXT kit from home, and brought to the shop. And that marks the first time my LEGO has been used for work purposes. It does its climbing job very well too.

Alas, both models prove to be too hard for the kids (upper primary age) to replicate. Mainly because of the tracks. The kids can't figure out how to use the tracks. Fortunately I found out an alternative in the form of huge wheels. Now all I have to do is teach them the concept of all-wheel-drive next week.

Personally, I'd scoff. Upper primary was the period at which I rapidly expanded my replicating skills. With sets being expensive as they were, I made up for it by using my own collection to replicate neat looking models I saw in catalogues. So I had built race cars, starships, fighter jets, catapults, and who knows what else by the time I entered high school. But yeah, I know, everybody's different. As Dad puts it, now I get to teach kids what I figured out on my own at their age.

I just wish they could understand the concept of "instructions". I mean, LEGO instructions are the easiest ones to follow. It's just pictures. Like Ikea!

Then again, some people do have problems with Ikea instructions. Never mind.

On another note, did you hear they use LEGO robots at Cambridge? It's apparently the cost effective alternative compared to expensive actual robots...

________________________________________

It's almost a week since "the new iPad" went on sale. And I've seen positive reviews after positives reviews popping up all over the net. Heck if I could I'd probably have gone down to Singapore just to get one of my own.

I mean come on! That thing is just amazing!