Introduction: We’re excited to share the incredible news that Team CERC Activate has secured a coveted spot to represent the UK internationally in Sydney this July 4th. This achievement is the culmination of our hard work, dedication, and passion for robotics and innovation. Join us as we take you through our journey in the First Lego League, our experiences with the Cambridge Electronics and Robotics Club, and our mission to make a positive impact in our community and beyond.
Transformative Journey with First Lego League 2024
Participating in the First Lego League has been a transformative experience for our team. From the regional competitions to the national stage, we’ve had the opportunity to showcase our skills, creativity, and teamwork. Through the challenges and victories, we’ve grown as individuals and as a cohesive unit, embracing diversity and continuous learning.
https://education.theiet.org/first-lego-league-programmes/first-lego-league-national-finals
https://www.firstaustralia.org/asia-pacific-open-championships
Empowering Through Robotics
At the heart of our journey lies the Cambridge Electronics and Robotics Club (CERC), where we found a supportive community and a platform to pursue our passion for robotics. With over 200 children directly engaged in the First Lego League 2024, CERC is not just a club; it’s a hub of innovation and collaboration. Together, we strive to make a meaningful impact within Cambridge and across UK schools, inspiring the next generation of young minds.
Seizing the Opportunity
Securing a place to represent the UK internationally is a dream come true for our team. It’s a testament to our hard work, perseverance, and determination to push the boundaries of innovation. As we prepare to compete on the global stage, we’re excited and grateful for the opportunity to showcase our talents and proudly represent Great Britain country.
Unveiling FossilEYES: A Journey to Fossil Finding for Families
Introduction: Welcome to the world of FossilEYES, where we’re on a mission to make fossil finding an engaging and accessible activity for families! In this blog post, we’ll take you through our journey of identifying a problem, developing innovative solutions, and presenting our project to families and professionals.
Identifying the Problem: As a new team, we faced the challenge of pinpointing a problem for our innovation project. Through research and discussions with friends and family, we discovered three key areas of concern: lack of awareness about fossil finding, limited interest and knowledge about fossils, and difficulty identifying fossils.
Developing Fossil Quest: Inspired by the MasterPiece theme, we set out to address these challenges with our solution, Fossil Quest. This project consists of two main components: fossil origami workshops and a mobile app for fossil identification. The app, developed using MIT App Inventor, features innovative functionalities such as image classification, ChatGPT integration, and fossil information.
Feedback and Future Enhancements: We’ve presented Fossil Quest to families and professionals, receiving valuable feedback for future iterations. Suggestions include improving the skit, enhancing origami workshops, adding geolocation features, and expanding the fossil database.
Inspiring Curiosity and Passion: Research shows that childhood interest in dinosaurs can lead to enhanced perseverance and complex thinking skills. With FossilEYES, we aim to inspire curiosity about fossils, nature, and the environment among children and families.
FossilEYES is more than just an innovation project; it’s a journey of discovery, creativity, and passion. By combining art, technology, and education, we’re paving the way for families to embark on exciting fossil-finding adventures together.
Unveiling BumbleBee: Our Journey in Robot Design for FLL 2024
Welcome to the world of BumbleBee, our innovative robot designed to conquer the challenges of the First Lego League. In this blog post, we’ll take you through the process of designing and building BumbleBee, our goals, challenges, and the features that make it a standout performer on the competition field.
Setting Goals and Getting Started
Our journey with BumbleBee began with clear goals in mind: to learn the art of building and coding a robot, complete all missions, and most importantly, have fun and make new friends along the way. Starting our preparations before the theme was even announced gave us a head start, allowing new members like myself and Yuvan to get up to speed and contribute effectively.
Mission Strategy and Design Iterations
Dividing ourselves into groups, we meticulously analyzed each mission and presented our strategies to the team and coaches. Using feedback, we refined our approach and developed a mission strategy that maximized efficiency and point accumulation. The modular design of BumbleBee, based on the Advanced Driving base, allowed everyone to contribute to its construction while ensuring stability and ease of use.
Features and Innovations
BumbleBee boasts a range of features that set it apart from its predecessors. With slip-on, slip-off attachments, a well-balanced, medium-sized, and stable design, and a symmetrical layout, it’s optimized for performance and versatility. The inclusion of two caster wheels and two big wheels, along with two color sensors and front and back attachment motors, ensures precise maneuverability and functionality.
Leveraging Pybricks for Reliability
After encountering gyro accuracy issues in previous competitions, we decided to switch to Pybricks firmware based on recommendations from online forums. This decision proved invaluable, providing ease of coding and increased reliability. We ensured easy access and collaboration among team members by checking our code on GitHub.
Optimizing Performance and Reducing Run Time
Our iterations focused on one primary goal: reducing robot game time by half. Through more than 100 iterations, we concentrated on saving time in the home area, combining missions, and multitasking in our code. With consistent practice and positioning, we achieved remarkable results, completing all runs in just five minutes at a scrimmage event, double the game time limit.
BumbleBee isn’t just a robot; it’s a testament to our teamwork, dedication, and passion for robotics. As we continue to refine and improve our design, we’re excited to showcase BumbleBee’s capabilities on the international stage and inspire others in the world of robotics.
Conclusion
As we embark on this next chapter of our journey, we’re grateful for the support of our mentors, coaches, and fellow teammates who have been with us every step of the way. Together, we’ll continue to strive for excellence, embrace diversity, and make a positive impact in our community and beyond. Stay tuned as we share updates from our journey to the international First Lego League competition in Sydney!
CERC Activate Team Testimonials
Support Team CERC Activate
However, our team of 10 passionate students, need your support to realize our participation in the international championship. The estimated cost for our journey is £40,000, covering expenses such as flights, accommodation, registration fees, new Lego parts and storage boxes for travel, and promotional giveaways to represent the UK.
Cambourne kids head to Australia for FIRST LEGO Robotics (electronicsweekly.com)
Next stop Sydney – but we need your help! – Cambourne Village College (cambournevc.org)
To support Team CERC Activate, please visit our Gift Aid Donation link:
https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/26033
CamCareUK Charity is fundraising for CamCare UK (justgiving.com)
