A real time robotics design challenge! Here's your chance to show off your robot designing and programming skills. "Real time" means your club arrives at the event not knowing what the challenges will be. The morning of the event we will hold a Challenge Release where the details of each robotics design challenge are revealed. Your robotics club will receive two challenges; one using the LEGO Mindstorms© NXT platform, and a surprise junk drawer challenge. After the Challenge Release it's time to go to work! Your club works as a team to design a robot to meet each of the challenges. At the end of the working period, enter the Challenge Field and set loose your robots to the cheers of spectators!
2012 Bratney Companies 4-H Robotics Challenge!
When?
Junior Division:
Friday, August 10, 2012 from 8a.m. to 1p.m.
Senior Division:
Saturday, August 11, 2012 from 8a.m. to 1p.m.
Where?
4-H Exhibits Building, Iowa State fairgrounds, Des Moines, Iowa (Map)
Who can participate?
Robotics clubs composed of 3 to 10 youth and up to two adult leaders/coaches. At least one member of the club must be a 4-H member (it's easy to join 4-H!)
Event Divisions
There are two age-based divisions: junior division for younger youth and senior division for older youth.
Junior Division: Club members enrolled in 5th - 8th grades in the 2011-2012 school year.
Senior Division: Club members enrolled in 8th - 12th grades in the 2011-2012 school year.
The Challenges:
Additional details will be released the morning of the event, but here is an idea of what you can expect:
LEGO Mindstorms® NXT Challenge - Design, build, and program a robot that can accomplish a specific goal. Participating clubs should have some experience working with the LEGO Mindstorms© NXT hardware and software. For additional details see the Robitcs Club Packet (pdf).
Junkdrawer Challenge - This challenge will test engineering and teamwork skills by presenting a novel situation and everyday household materials to work with. Each team will be given identical drawers of materials. The challenge is to design and build a robot capable of accomplishing a specified task from only the materials given in the "junk drawer". For additional details see the Robitcs Club Packet (pdf).
After registering:
Your club's leader/coach will receive an email containing:
- Your club's status -- invited to participate or on waiting list -- based on the first-come-first-serve selection process.
- The Robotics Club Packet (to see it now click here (pdf)) with participation guidelines and additional details.
- A link to the online Participation Confirmation Form that every club must complete to verify their attendance, the number of participants, and T-shirt sizes.
- Forms you will need to fill out and bring with you to the Event (also listed in the right-hand sidebar).
Withdrawal deadline:
After the withdrawal deadline of July 1* each club leader/coach will receive:
- Tickets to the Iowa State Fair for the day of the event for each participating club member and up to two leaders/coaches
- Any updates or additional event details
- Any unconfirmed slots will be offered to clubs on the waiting list at this time
* Teams may withdraw any time before July 1 without penalty. After July 1 withdrawing will incur a $100 penalty.
Past 4-H Robotics Events
The 2010 Bratney Companies Iowa 4-H Robotics Challenge @ the Iowa State Fair was a smash hit! Eight teams with a total of 34 members were challenged to design two completely separate robots in real time. Check out this video about the event produced by youth!
Find out what a 4-H Robotics Challenge is like by checking out the highlights of the event held at the Iowa 4-H Foundation's 60th Anniversary Gala.
Questions about the Iowa 4-H Robotics Competition?
Contact Holly Bignall at hbignall@iastate.edu or Jay Staker at jstaker@iastate.edu