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ttclegoleague.tridenttech.edu
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Thanks,
Ice Wolves, 122
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
the Southern Pine Beetle
This is a side view of an adult southern pine beetle, provided by the University of Florida Department of Entomology and Nematology.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
the ROBOT
While we were taking field trips to ArborGen, the Horticultural Department at Trident, and having the teleconference with Dr. Bohlmann, we worked on our robot.
There are four challenges in First Lego League. The first is the research presentation. The second is the teamwork, where the team describes what they have done as a team. The third, the technical presentation, is where the team presents the judges with their robot and describes what it does. The fourth, and possibly the most important of the challenges, is the obstacle course at the tables. These obstacle courses change with the topic every season, giving the teams different and more challenging tasks their robot has to perform.
We started making the robot in August at the start of the season. Our coaches divided us up into teams of two, and the teams made their own robot. When all of the robots were finished, we tested the robots on the table. We then all voted on the robot that we thought performed the best.
Over time, we added and took off parts in order for the robot to run most efficiently and according to what our team wanted. Right now our robot has three motors, the maximum amount that is allowed, a touch sensor, and an NXT brick. This is always needed, being the brain of the robot. We only have two wheels on our robot, and they are at the "front" of it. We have j-hooks on the back, because we wanted the least amount of traction in the back so that it could turn more easily. If we used plain wheels, the rubber would create friction and our robot would not be able to turn at all. At the beginning of the year, we expected our robot to be doing a lot of lifting. We decided that the motor needed to be higher than usual so that it could lift things more easily. We made the robot so that the motor is at a forty-five degree angle so it can lift things and drop them over a wall.
Check back for more on the ICE WOLVES' progress!
There are four challenges in First Lego League. The first is the research presentation. The second is the teamwork, where the team describes what they have done as a team. The third, the technical presentation, is where the team presents the judges with their robot and describes what it does. The fourth, and possibly the most important of the challenges, is the obstacle course at the tables. These obstacle courses change with the topic every season, giving the teams different and more challenging tasks their robot has to perform.
We started making the robot in August at the start of the season. Our coaches divided us up into teams of two, and the teams made their own robot. When all of the robots were finished, we tested the robots on the table. We then all voted on the robot that we thought performed the best.
Over time, we added and took off parts in order for the robot to run most efficiently and according to what our team wanted. Right now our robot has three motors, the maximum amount that is allowed, a touch sensor, and an NXT brick. This is always needed, being the brain of the robot. We only have two wheels on our robot, and they are at the "front" of it. We have j-hooks on the back, because we wanted the least amount of traction in the back so that it could turn more easily. If we used plain wheels, the rubber would create friction and our robot would not be able to turn at all. At the beginning of the year, we expected our robot to be doing a lot of lifting. We decided that the motor needed to be higher than usual so that it could lift things more easily. We made the robot so that the motor is at a forty-five degree angle so it can lift things and drop them over a wall.
Check back for more on the ICE WOLVES' progress!
Friday, January 2, 2009
THE TELECONFERENCE
When the team went to ArborGen, some important questions were asked about genetically engineering trees. One of our questions was: Could you create a pine tree that smells less like oleoresin, or pine pitch? Ms. Hinchee of ArborGen gave us the email address of Dr. Bohlmann, a professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada.
A few days later, we had a teleconference back in the lab with the professor. He answered our most important question: "Could you create a tree that smells less like oleoresin?" Dr. Bohlmann's answer was yes. You could create it, but it would be very difficult because a pine tree has 25 billion bases. Plus, a pine tree apperently has a lot of junk that its genome holds on to that it doesn't really need. He also gave us a lot of interesting facts and answers to our questions, for example, when we asked would marketing a pine tree that smells less be a smart thing to do, Dr. Bohlmann said that climate change leads to unpredictable pine beetle attacks. By the time a pine tree could be engineered to smell less and have time to grow, the attacks may have decreased. If populations normalize for several years, the problem may be forgotten. The pine tree may not be engineered anymore, and by the time the pine beetles have attacked significantly again, it will have been too late.
Dr. Bohlamnn helped us tremendously, and we thank him for his time.
team 122, the ICE WOLVES
A few days later, we had a teleconference back in the lab with the professor. He answered our most important question: "Could you create a tree that smells less like oleoresin?" Dr. Bohlmann's answer was yes. You could create it, but it would be very difficult because a pine tree has 25 billion bases. Plus, a pine tree apperently has a lot of junk that its genome holds on to that it doesn't really need. He also gave us a lot of interesting facts and answers to our questions, for example, when we asked would marketing a pine tree that smells less be a smart thing to do, Dr. Bohlmann said that climate change leads to unpredictable pine beetle attacks. By the time a pine tree could be engineered to smell less and have time to grow, the attacks may have decreased. If populations normalize for several years, the problem may be forgotten. The pine tree may not be engineered anymore, and by the time the pine beetles have attacked significantly again, it will have been too late.
Dr. Bohlamnn helped us tremendously, and we thank him for his time.
team 122, the ICE WOLVES
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
ArborGen visit
Our next trip was to the Arborgen facility in Summerville. We spoke to Maud Hinchee and her colleagues who genetically engineer trees. ArborGen engineers trees so that they can withstand changes in climate and disease. ArborGen's trees can help reduce the loss of lumber trees, which helps the economy. The process takes 14 years, and consists of researching the tree's genome, inserting the new gene, culturing the tree's tissues, testing the tree, and marketing the trees. A pine tree has 25 billion bases to its genome. Humans, for example, have only 8 billion bases. The scientists at ArborGen think they will be able to make a tree that is more resistant to the Southern Pine Beetle, such as trees that smell less like oleoresin, which is what attracts the beetles.
Maud's colleagues showed us some of the plants that they are in the process of genetically engineering. Each plant had its own canister with a jell that helped it grow. This jell had all the nutrients that a plant needs. They have plants that show different stages of development as well.
Our trip to ArborGen helped us a lot, and gave us another person that we could talk to: Joerg Bohlmann at the University of British Columbia.
Maud's colleagues showed us some of the plants that they are in the process of genetically engineering. Each plant had its own canister with a jell that helped it grow. This jell had all the nutrients that a plant needs. They have plants that show different stages of development as well.
Our trip to ArborGen helped us a lot, and gave us another person that we could talk to: Joerg Bohlmann at the University of British Columbia.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Horticulturalist
The next expert we needed to meet with was Tony Bertauski, a horticulturalist at Trident Tech. He talked about the difference between pest insects and non-pest insects. A pest insect is an insect that is harmful and destructive, and a non-pest insect is an insect that does not harm an environment. He let us look at a log that had been infested by a pest burrowing beetle. He also let us look at a pest moth and a non-pest moth, hissing cockroaches, and an ant farm. Skyler became very good friends with one of the moths that day.
Our visit with Tony Bertauski helped us a lot, and it was a really cool experience.
Our visit with Tony Bertauski helped us a lot, and it was a really cool experience.
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