New logo!

Jarren and I are working on a new logo right now, it's turning out pretty cool, we'll post when it's done!!

Also, as Tim posted about, we met with a stem cell researcher. She said our project "...sounds Star Trekkie but really isn't that far out." And that it's right along with research that is happening right now!

~Calvin, Robot Cap'n-

Legos In Paradise Youtube Channel!

Hey everyone! Check out LIP's new Youtube channel! (Side banners done by yours truly :p) I Also posted a video of us getting 320 at the state tournament!


Jarren ;)

We're in Flint!

We are getting settled into the hotel after going on a field trip to a crash lab!

Jarren :)

Tuesday 12/8 meeting

Yesterday was possibly our last meeting because of the snow storm that is blowing though here. So we practiced and practiced and practiced. Did I mention that we practiced? Oh yes, we practiced. Before the meeting, Calvin and I made the schematics of our innovative solution, EVAR safe, you can see all about it on our website. Now were just hoping for good weather to Flint.

Jarren ;)

400 point robot run video.

Josh and I spent the night over at Calvin's and practiced the robot like mad! Here is a video of one of our many 400s.



We also made an outline of out team's brochures that we will be handing out at Flint.

Jarren ;)

400 POINTS!!!!!!!!!!

JARREN AND JOSH JUST GOT 400 POINS WHILE PRACTICING THE ROBOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, to keep practicing!!!!!!

Calvin, Getting really excited!

Wednesdays 11/18 optional meeting

Today was an optional meeting and it went pretty well. Calvin and Brian were working on the Project Boards when I got there, Then we got to work! We nearly finished the layout for the Project Board and my Dad printed the pictures so we can paste them onto the board tomorrow. We also got a start on the Teamwork Board, which should also be finished tomorrow. We then tried another approach for getting the loops in the north-west corner. It's so hard!

Jarren, :\

Thursday 11/12 meeting

We didn't get a whole lot done yesterday, just made more plans on how to bump up our scores, Calvin and I did more research Wednesday and found more articles about our problem.

Jarren :/

Community Presentation #1

We just did a Community Presentation for Boy-Scout Troop 311, and they loved the humor in it.

On the 14th, we are doing another Presentation at the Plainfield Library, we would love it if you could come.

Jarren ;)

Tuesday 11/10 meeting

Yesterday, we went over our scores and watched the videos that our Coach took of the judging sessions. We then decided on some things that we are going to change. Today, Calvin and I are going to do some more research about our problem.


Jarren ;)

Thursdays last meeting!

Yesterday was our last meeting!!!!!!!!!!!

We finished all our props and binders. We found out that Tim  wont be able to be at the tourney for the presentation, so we had to practice without him. Aaron is going to play Tims part. We also ran our robot a bunch and got 370! We would of got 400 but the robot mised a grey loop.

Jarren, getting ready to head out to Flint. :)

Tuesday 11/3 meeting

Like Calvin said, 2 days!!! But here is what happened yesterday and today.

Yesterdays meeting went good. Calvin, Josh and I fine-tuned the robot before the meeting. Once every one arrived, we did some practice runs, and decided that Josh was going to be the robot runner, and Calvin, Brian and I are going to be attachment guys. We then had a practice tech judging. We practiced our skit until parents came. We did it for them and got feedback from them like, "I didn't know what Calvin part was supposed to be." We edited a bit more, and are going with what we have for the practice tourney.

Today, Calvin and I made the project and robot binders.

Now all we have is tomorrows meeting! 

Jarren : |

Our First Tournament!

We now have 2 meetings until our Practice Tournament on November 7th! The Practice Tournament is where we compete for position, but we don't advance to Internationals or any other level.
We'll just be practicing our Robot and our Presentation for the next couple meetings.

Jarren, not quite ready for the tourney.

Thursday 10/22 meeting

Thursdays meeting rocked! Josh and Aaron worked on the last mission (the Loops and the Truck), while Calvin and I worked on organizing how the people at the robot table are going to work with each other. Brian and Tim worked on the skit. Once Calvin and I were done, we went up-stairs and helped with the skit. We now have the research and the back bone of the skit done. Then, Calvin and I had to leave while Josh, Tim, and Aaron stayed late. When we got back they had almost completed the Loops and Crash.

Jarren, waiting for Tuesdays meeting. ;)

Tuesday 10/20 meeting

Tuesdays meeting went well! We started by having Aaron, Calvin and Josh finish up the last robot mission. (but it still needs to go back to base!) Tim and I watched the rest of our field trip videos while I compiled the surveys. Then Brian and I worked on making duplicate attachments for the other robot, and Calvin compiled surveys. We then did a fun teamwork game and had a teamwork judging session.

Here is how the teamwork game is played:

Setup: Collect two sets of identical LEGO parts. The more parts, the longer and harder the game gets.

One team member builds a model out of the parts provided. Then a team member standing next to him whispers a set of instructions on how to build the model, he is saying piece by piece to the next person, which whispers to the next person and so on, until it reaches the person at the end, like the telephone game. Then he builds the model according to what the second to last person in line tells him.

Example: First person builds a car, the second person looks at the car and tells the third person "put the 2 studded beams next to each other and connect them with the plate." the third person tells the fourth what he heard and it keeps going. The last person in line tells the builder "put the brick on the beam." This repeats until there is no more commands to give.

This was the type of stuff we got. Calvin was the final model maker and when he got instructions, he couldn't even do them because of a word goof at the beginning. It was very fun and amusing to see the end model, rarely does it look even close to the original model.

Hope you like the game!

Jarren waiting for tomorrows meeting!

Thursday 10/15 meeting

Thursday's meeting went well! We have 340 points! We also extracted some research from our field trips.

We now have 6 meetings left until our first tournament on November 7th.

Jarren, Ready for tomorrows meeting.

Past 3 meetings . . . Ugh!

Sorry, I have been busy. So here is what we did for the past 3 meetings.

Tuesday: We worked on the robot, and some of the skit.

Wednesday: This was an optional robot meeting that Calvin, Josh, and I went to, and we finished one of the missions!!!! (Now just 2 to go!)

Thursday: We worked on the last 2 missions (but they are still not done), and worked on a survey plan for people and experts related to our problem.

Jarren, waiting for the next meeting. (And my birthday!)

L.I.P. fundraiser

Woo-hoo! Our team raised $650! On Friday we began to set up. I got there at 6:00 pm; Calvin, Aaron and Brian had already unloaded most of the stuff into a building that we were able to use (because it was going to rain). We got most of the setting up done (with the help of other team members and their families). After I got back to my house that night, my family and I made signs that would direct people to the sale. On Saturday, my Dad and I set up the signs and arrived at the building. Calvin and Aaron came a minute later, and we got to work. People started coming in and got great deals. Our team tried to do a survey for our project but only 20 people took it. On Sunday we packed everything up and went home. So after 3 days I think that we made enough money to go to the tourneys.

Jarren, ready for tomorrows meeting!

From left to right: Calvin, Aaron, Tim, Jarren.

Tim and Brian taking surveys.

Aaron taking surveys out front.

It was very busy.

Thursday 10/1 meeting

Yesterdays meeting went well. We worked on the same robot missions, and got a little done. Tim and Calvin continued working on project. Then we all sat down and talked about our innovative solution, and a public survey we are going to use at a fundraiser sale we are having this weekend. So all and all, we had a fairly good meeting.

Jarren, hoping we don't get too wet at the sale.

Thursday 9/24 meeting: Another field trip!

Yes, we went on another field trip, it was a lot of fun and we got a lot of info. We also took some team pictures at a near-by park. When we got back to Calvin's house, we discussed what we learned and looked at the pictures. Then we thought some more about the innovative solution name, we think we got it narrowed down. We then worked on the robot (finally) but didn't get very much done. We got the basic idea for the presentation down as well.

Jarren, waiting and waiting 'till the next meeting ;)