Robotics MB makes national news

[Buffalo Skipper 13]

Looks like a fairly positive story.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=13325567

 

Three members of our troop competed in the regional middle school Robotics competition last fall. One of our best ASMs was a volunteer coordinator mentoring the team. We should have several scouts with this badge in no time.

[UCEagle72 10]

Yup ... and I will be part of the launch team down here at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney World next weekend!

[John-in-KC 311]

Anyone wanna bet National IT screws up and the badge is not live in ScoutNet on the 12th?

[RememberSchiff 3683]

Here's a general indication of requirements

 

http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2011/04/08/PR-Robotics-Merit-Badge-FINAL.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

[skeptic 997]

They had the pamphlet at our store on Monday; so guess it is already in the field.

[raisinemright 13]

My son has been anxiously waiting for this badge. He is a member of a FIRST Tech Challenge team. He's done just about everything for the badge in the last few months.

[RememberSchiff 3683]

Possible spoiler???

 

The "unofficial" requirements as posted on meritbadge.org before being removed for whatever reason.

 

http://tinyurl.com/43zldzl

 

So far, no lite requirements to watch a movie with a robot in it or name five robots real or fictional. I think keeping an engineering notebook might be the biggest challenge. Looks encouraging.

 

For official news and requirements

http://boyslife.org/section/about-scouts/merit-badge-resources/robotics/

 

http://tinyurl.com/5tnj2z2

 

My $0.02(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

[T2Eagle 902]

UC Eagle, any chance you'll be wearing your uniform?

[NEPAScouter 10]

I give the official requirements a big thumbs up. I really like how the requirements for building a robot are platform-neutral. Lego is a natural for this, but there are other kits (cheap) out there these days that offer enough flexibility for meeting requirement 4. I also like how the fourth requirement expects the scout to confer with the merit badge counselor on specifying a task for a robot to perform *before* building the robot. Sure, there's always the possibility an MBC will say, "Oh, you wanted it to grab a foam ball, turn around, and drop the ball, but all it does is turn around? Sure, I'll pass 'ya" but if we're staying honest to the intent, it's a good way of having the Scout confer with the MBC once or twice before the whole merit badge is passed. It'll help teach scouts that even allegedly simple actions (and not just robotics!) benefit from a process of exploratory redesign and retesting, not just a follow-the-recipe exercise (I hope).

 

I noticed navigation is not mentioned in requirement 2, but I'm guessing that it is subsumed into "mobility." If it's not, that'll be a nitpick for me. I've seen too many FIRST robotics competitions where there's too much emphasis on programming inhumanly precise timing into the robot's fixed-duration moves to navigate a course instead of having it occasionally figure out where it is on a course.

 

Sorry for getting all nerdy, but this is one professor who's been waiting an awful long time for this merit badge!

[UCEagle72 10]

T2 --

 

Uniforms on Saturday -- Thursday & Friday they have some nice polo shirts for us to wear while we man the BSA booth.

 

[JoeBob 606]

Anybody else observe how the Lego Robotics meetings usually end up with two bots fighting it out? Testosteroni!