FIRST LEGO League 2009 Challenge "Smart Move"

Principal Investigators

• Daniel Maggio, Director- Pre-College Programs
  University of Detroit Mercy

Project Dates:

09/01/08 to 12/31/09

Project year: Year 1

MIOH-UTC Project Identifier: K-12-35

Focus Area:

• K- 12 Educational Outreach

Abstract:

FIRST LEGO League celebrates science and technology to 9 to 14 year old children using a real-world context and hands-on experimentation. Mentored by adults, FLL participants discover career possibilities and learn what it takes to fulfill their aspirations and enter tomorrow's workforce. Bringing theory and practice together in a revolutionary program, FLL empowers participants to use what they learn in the classroom combined with the latest technology to solve the Challenge - a current scientific or technological need facing the world. Each September, the eight week FLL season commences with the announcement of the annual Challenge.

Each Challenge engages teams in the same problem solving process that is practiced in industry: research, strategies, design, build and test. Additionally, Challenges may also be used to fulfill national science and technology education standards. Teams use LEGO bricks, sensors, motors and gears to construct and program a fully autonomous robot capable of completing different missions while maneuvering around the 4 foot-by-8 foot FLL Playing Field.

The Challenge for the 2009-10 season is called Smart Move. The key to the 2009 "Smart Move" Challenge is accessing people, places, goods and services in the safest, most efficient way possible. In this journey, teams will consider many modes of transportation beyond their daily routine and streamline their options by making smart moves!