http://www.marshall.edu/LEGO

1
From Here to Mars and Back with Robotics and
Group Problem Solving

• LEGO K-12 Math/ScienceProjects of Linda Hamilton

NSTA 2002
2
Mars and Back Time Line

• Red Rover Davis Creek
• School Board of Education
• NASA
• PTA
• Red Rover to other schools
• Space Science
• Star Shine
• NASA TV
• NASA SCIENCE
• RoboLab programming
• Transportation at Nick J. Rahall, IIAppalachian
  Transportation Institute
• SENSORSCITY

3
LEGO Dacta Software and Materials

• Red Rover Red Rover
• Classroom projects
• Internet connections
• Internet Rocket Launch by LEGO Robotics
• RoboLab
• Classroom projects
• Internet connection
• Remote sensing

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SENSORSCITY

• Red Rover
• In Class
• Among classes
• Among schools
• To other states
• With the world

• RoboLab
• In class small groups
• In class large group
• Systems Engineering
• Small groups
• Projects coordinated together

http//SENSORSCITY.marshall.edu
5
Red Rover Teleoperation

• Install software for earth site or buy and use
  Mars site
• CONNECT to Lego.marshall.edu
• Use direction buttons to operate
• Run programs

6
Teleoperation via the Internet

• A car, a monorail and other transportation are
  available for programming at the LEGO SENSORS
  City since September of 2001.
• The live view on http//legocamera.marshall.edu
  shows the end of the CITY that can be programmed
  over the internet by RoboLab.
• From the Red Rover Red Rover side you can
  operated the other monorail and gate.
• Through the Red Rover Red Rover software you can
  operate and see the the view from the opposite
  side.

7
Nick J. Rahall, II Appalachian Transportation
Institute
The Nick J. Rahall, II Appalachian Transportation
Institute (RTI) is pleased to announce that its
LEGO 24-Hour City is now an official Science and
Engineering NASA Site of Remote Sensing
(SENSORS). SENSORS is a NASA Leading
Educators to Applications, Research, and
NASA-related Educational Resources in Science
Cooperative Agreement Notice. The purpose is to
enhance K-12 science, math, technology, and
geography education through Internet-based
products derived from NASA mission content. With
the use of telerobotics and LEGO RCX robots,
students can explore and discover different
environments. The Appalachian
Transportation Institute is located at Marshall
University in Huntington, West Virginia. One of
the goals of the RTI is to provide quality
transportation-related programs to elementary,
middle, and high school students, with the
express purpose of attracting students to careers
in transportation fields. Each year, a variety of
workshops are sponsored which enable students to
explore the technologies and issues related to
transportation in the United States. The
LEGO 24-Hour City at RTI is built around the LEGO
Dacta RCX intelligent programmable brick. Using
LEGO Dactas ROBOLAB software, students at RTI
are able to program each of the citys vehicles
and traffic control elements. Previously,using
Red Rover software, students at other sites could
remotely activate the motors and lights on the
Citys LEGO models and run set up programs. Now,
using the Internet, students from anywhere can
also program the Citys elements themselves and
remotely receive information and data from the
City. Linda Hamilton, mathematics instructor at
Marshall University, working with Chris Rogers of
Tufts University Center for Engineering
Educational Outreach, has designed the LEGO
24-Hour City at RTI to be operational for remote
sensing. Many schools have remotely operated the
Citys monorail, gates, traffic counters, and
vehicles. Programs like the LEGO 24-Hour City at
RTI use hands-on, real-life activities that build
interest in engineering, robotics, and remote
sensing among young people. This interest will
stay with the students throughout their
education, and lead them to careers in
transportation and traffic fields. A SENSORS LEGO
Robotics Workshop was held at Tufts University
on June 6-8, 2001. Marshall University, NASA Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Glenn, NASA Goddard
and NASA Ames representatives planned their
SENSORS site and programmed LEGO robotics at the
Tufts University SENSORS workshop.
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SENSORS CITY

• Science and Engineering NASA Site of Remote
  Sensing
• City Transportation
• Nick J. Rahall, IIAppalachian TransportationInst
  itute
• Marshall University
• Linda Hamilton hamilton_at_marshall.edu
• http//www.marshall.edu/LEGO
• http//SENSORSCITY.marshall.edu