NXT Area and Volume Calculator from nxtprograms.com

As stated on their website, this simple device can be used to calculate length, area, and volume by rolling the wheel along surfaces, similar to an electronic "Rolling Tape" device.  The NXT does the math and displays the results on the screen in both metric and English units.

http://www.nxtprograms.com/volume_calc/index.html

It is really cool and you may want to check it out too!

BTW, have you noticed that the nxtporgrams website has the clearest pictures of their robots? You may want to check out the advice on taking good photos for NXT robots on http://www.nxtprograms.com/help/photos/index.html

Kingsum

RCX Light Sensors vs NXT Light Sensors

Has anybody found any definitive report on comparing the accuracy between RCX and NXT light sensors?

The Nanites did a few studies and found the reproducibility of RCX Light Sensors seems to be better (+/- 1) than NXT Light Sensors (+/- 2). Do you know a similar study has been done somewhere else?

If you like, please do the experiment and share your findings with us by posting it as a comment to the blogsite, or sending me an e-mail. If you like to write up a report, like the report on toeing the line, that is great too! I really like it if you can write up a report and share!

2009 TechStart Spring Conference

Below is an email from the TechStart Foundation, a community partner of  ORTOP. There are two events of interest.
 
Best contact for these programs: Dianna Bancke at dianna.bancke@techstart.org

It's Not To Late! Register Today and be Our Guest
Saturday, February 28, 2009
If you haven't registered for our Annual Spring Conference yet, now is the time! Please join us at the TechStart and Oregon Computer Science Teacher Association Annual Spring Conference at Willamette University in Salem. Lunch will be provided.
 
2009 TechStart Spring Conference for Teachers
Workshops being offered:
Game Maker - Beginning and Advanced Levels
Robotics - Levels 1 and 2
Other Game Engines
Web 2.0 Tools for the Classroom
Intro to CS4HS

Free registration at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=e_2bKbOM1MALMc_2fDPweSJ3Pw_3d_3d

and
 
ogpc 2.0 Registration closes March 16th. Challenge release February 21st.  Oregon Game Project Challenge is a video game design challenge for middle and high school students. There is a middle school and a high school division. Teams can be school based or formed at community centers,  friend teams teams or kids from FLL/FTC/FRC teams wanting a different challenge focused on programming skills. The Game Maker software is free and tournament registration is only $50. Teams are comprised of four to seven students.
More details here: http://techstart.org/ogpc.html

Invitation to view Kingsum's Picasa Web Album - 2009-FTC

You are invited to view Kingsum's photo album: 2009-FTC 2009-FTC Feb 2, 2009 by Kingsum View Album Play slideshow Message from Kingsum: Today I brought two kids to OMSI to watch the FTC scrimmage. I took a few photos. Nothing much to add. Enjoy. If you are having problems viewing this email, copy and paste the following into your browser: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=kingsum.chow&target=ALBUM&id=5300290966218676913&authkey=-b2AjsWil98&invite=CJ3o1vcP&feat=email To share your photos or receive notification when your friends share photos, get your own free Picasa Web Albums account.

Portland Teams in Oregon State Championship

15 teams were announced in the 2008 FIRST Lego League Season

Link is updated. Thanks to the anonymous person pointing out the problem.
http://www.ous.edu/news_and_information/news/ORTOP%20Portland%2020092.pdf

PPS students earn awards in Lego contest

Students from six PPS schools and programs were honored in a recent competition in which participants ages 9-14 build and program working Lego robots.

http://cms9.pps.k12.or.us/.docs/pg/12886

Perfect FLL and FTC performance

Perfect score in FLL - http://thenxtstep.blogspot.com/2009/02/climate-connections-perfect-run-400.html
Heroic performance in FTC - http://thenxtstep.blogspot.com/2009/02/ftc-delaware-regional-part-2.html

Lego Nanites Blogsite has been redesigned...

among other things, a section on FIRST Tech Challenge on the right...

Robot programming without a physical robot

I found RoboCode from a Saturday Academy catalog. Perhaps students find it more exciting to learn math and programming (in Java) by shooting each other's tanks.

http://testwiki.roborumble.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page

Can't wait for college? Free courses from MIT and Berkeley

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/courses.php

Their lists are impressive. Lecture notes, assigments, study materials are all there.

I checked out a source on mechanical engineering. It is pretty good too.