Autobot in Costa Rica!

Falcon Robotics built and shipped an autonomous robot using an Andymark Chassis to Costa Rica Intel to foster a robotics program there. Here are some responses from the people in Costa Rica

Purpose:
·         Show Intel’s interest in promoting Costa Rica’s development through technical education with the use of robotics.
·         Announce Intel’s 2011 Robotics Boot Camp and get applications from students and teachers for enrollment.

1^st Day (October 19):
·         After an outstanding collaboration and logistics effort by the Arizona and Costa Rica teams, the robot made it on time for the opening ceremony at Expo Ingenieria 2010. Many thanks to all of those involved:

o   Marcos Garcia-Acosta (Intel, Arizona)

o   Max Ramirez (Intel, Costa Rica)

o   Carmen Cornejo (Critical Mass Communications)

o   Fredi Lajvardi (Professor, Carl Hayden Community High School)

o   Students at Carl Hayden Community High School.

o   Reina Aguilar (Intel, Costa Rica)

o   Luis Castro (Intel, Costa Rica)

o   Sebastian Jimenez (Intel, Costa Rica)

o   Mary Helen Bialas (Intel, Costa Rica)

Although the robot had no active role during the ceremony it was placed on stage with the Fair’s distinguished visitors: Fernando Bogantes (MOE Director of Technical Education), Shelly Esque (VP Corporate Affairs Group, Intel), Mario Mora Quirós (representing the Minister of Education), Clotilde Fonseca (Minister of Science and Technology), and Mike Forrest (Intel Costa Rica Site Manager).
·         The robot was a great attention grabber for students and visitors alike both before and after the opening ceremony.

2^nd Day (October 20):
·         This was judging day for all of the participating students, but in their off-times they wandered all over the place and made it to our stand. We ran out of application sheets from students and teachers that came by.
·         After the presentation and a Q&A session the teachers had a chance to play with the robot and look up close how it was built. Most of the concerns from them had to do with buying an Atom processor or any of the other parts. They were also concerned with closed solutions that made them buy a more elaborate part that would be too expensive for their schools. Nevertheless, the response was very positive and most of them filled their applications to participate in the Boot Camp.



Applications: Some Statistics:
·         82 attendees applied for the Robotics Boot Camp.
·         They come from 24 Technical High Schools all over the country, 21 of them are out of the great metropolitan area were Intel is located.
·         47 of the applicants are students, 29 teachers, and the remaining 6 are mentors or MOE advisors for technical education.
·         Most of the students are boys (38), while only 9 of them are girls.
·         Except for a student (Luis Leon Vega, winner at the Fair) and his mentor, none of the applicants have participated in any kind of robotics competition with a project of their own.


Challenges Moving Ahead:
·         Technical High Schools have had little engagement with robotics. This is a great opportunity to position Intel as a trusted advisor with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
·         Although experience with robotics is low, all of these students and teachers are involved in electronics, mechanics, computer science, or a combination of them. The topics in the Robotics Boot Camp have to be tailored so they can bridge their separate skills into a single common knowledge related to the robot as a system.

·         Most participants are from out of the great metropolitan area, so possible transportation, and room and board would have to be considered as part of the Robotics Boot Camp.

Falcon Robotics in DC day 5

Falcon Robotics in DC Day 5

You know how sometimes things just don’t go right. This was one of those days. We arrived one hour prior to the presentation to find that we were missing the HDMI cable we need to get the computer up and running on the EVROV. We googled the nearest Radio Shack and we went on a 1/3 mile jaunt to get one, along with $50.00. We returned but now with enough time to set up the system. It was time to take the EVROV and the 3-D viewing system to the stage. We tried to get the system online on stage but to no avail....We went ahead with the presentation without the capability of demonstrating the robot. The 3-D viewing system was working fine so we at least had this going for us. We were a little discombobulated and what we had planned for the presentation was not going as we had planned. There were about 30 to 40 people in the crowd with little children. After our time was up we cleared to the backstage area to pack what we could.

It went pretty well for what we had but we felt disappointed. Oh well if there is one we have learned in all the things we have been through it is to be tough and keep going. We did.
Mrs. Palmares said that she watched the presentation and though it went well. The kids were engaged and they loved seeing themselves in 3-D.

After the presentation we decided to do just a little more sight seeing before heading back to the hotel. We went to the White House. I have bee there before when I was a little kid, but no one else on the team has. I noticed a big difference. There was the street in front of the house that was blocked off, the secret service and police that were everywhere including the top of the White House. Even the black steel bars in front had a mesh material covering it. After 9-11 it looks like the country is in a state of war.

Any way its been a long time away from home and now its time to get back. We all miss our families. Thanks for following us on this great trip. We have a large number of pics and we hope you get to enjoy them.

Falcon Robotics in DC day 4

Falcon Robotics in DC day 4
Well...where to begin... we started off in the morning just like the other three days. Met in the lobby to take the shuttle to the Metro station. Today we took the Metro almost to the furthest end of the line to a station called Foggy Bottom, we were on our way to the Lincoln Memorial. At this time I would like to go on record that the name Foggy Bottom is really cool. I felt like we were going to someplace in a Harry Potter story. Once we got off at Foggy Bottom we headed for about a 3/4 mile walk to the Lincoln Memorial. It was very dramatic see the memorial come into view as we approached it. The building makes a strong outline against the sky. The white building with the deep blue sky is a very dramatic image. It was awe inspiring to know all the historical events that have taken place at this monument, like Martin Luther King Jr.’s I have a Dream Speech. I actually got to see the engraved marker that shows where Dr. King stood when he gave his speech. I stood there and looked out over what he might have looked over and I saw the Washington Monument and the Capitol. It was great! I then turned around to see the steps leading up to where President Lincoln was siting.

There were a ton on people taking pictures in front on Lincoln. I walked over to the inscription on the wall where his famous Gettysburg address started and the team followed me. We sat on the floor and leaned back to read the inscription thoroughly. After reading the first wall, we walked over to the other side and read the rest of the speech. Of course we then stood in front of Lincoln and took the obligatory picture.

The Vietnam Memorial was next. It is a very unusual memorial, it is hard to see from a distance. It is almost just accidentally walked into. It is subtle and drops down below ground level. It is very quite and somber there. You can see veterans staring at the wall with contemplative expressions and you can see people scratching names off the wall by using a piece of paper and and a pencil. There was even a guy there with a ladder to help people reach the top names. It is hard to walk by this memorial and not be affected by it, even though it is probably the most simple monument out there.

We started heading to ward the Science exhibits that were out on the mall. On the way we passed by the World War II Memorial. It was very bold and flashy with lots of water fountains. It was a huge contrast to the Vietnam Memorial. We soon walked passed the Washington Monument and then took a quick detour to check in on where the stage was to see where would be performing on Sunday at 2:00pm. We then continued to head to the Science Exhibits after grabbing a quick hotdog.

We spent a while checking out the exhibits and then headed to the National Museum of Natural History. The kids were surprised that the dinosaurs were not as big as they thought they were going to be. Thank you Hollywood! It was weird to see the kids feel unimpressed as we saw a T-Rex tower over them.

Hunger was setting in so we headed out to grab a quick ice cream sandwich before we started on our 2 mile journey to Ben’s Chilli Bowl. It was a very long walk. It became imperative that the chilli be really good or we were going to be very disappointed. After we were really beaten by the walk, we finally got there. The facade was not impressive and expectations were fading fast. We walked in to a huge line and stuffy heat, but the crowd was upbeat so it sort of balanced out. We thought is must be good if people were here putting up with the lack of modernity, decor, and refreshing air. We got  seated and noticed a poster of President Obama and it was signed by him and it was stated on it that the first place he ate at after the inauguration was Ben’s Chilli Bowl, that helped redeem the restaurant  even more! The true test....the food was just alright, not special, but the tradition and history about the place sells the place.

After stuffing our faces we then headed for the Metro and caught the green line back to the hotel. After a little down time the team got together to go over the presentation for tomorrow. We then ordered Chinese from the Royal Jade and we all laughed at John’s comment that we lived at the Holiday in to the guy on the phone taking the order.

Tomorrow brings us to our main purpose for why we are hear. We will give you one last summary! Stay tuned!

Check out the pics from the link below all the days are being added in one file, newer one to the left.
http://www.cooliris.com/yoursite/express/builder/gallery.php?z=Sv9G37P4u2kn

Falcon Robotics in DC day 3

Pictures added to Gallery from Yesterday


check ealier post for pics



USA Science & Engineering Festival Day 3



Today began with everyone meeting in the lobby and taking the Metro to the nearest exit to the Capitol. Going the see the Capitol is just like getting through security at the airport, but with one other criteria, no food. After having cleared the entrance security we got to see the new tourist lobby. It was beautiful! We saw a great film that gave a brief history about the Capitol and then had a guided tour of some of the main rooms. They don’t let you see the senate or congressional chambers, but we did see the entrance to Nancy Pelosi’s office. The artwork in the rotunda was just fabulous! It was very cool to see the actual portrait of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is bigger than I thought. The dome was very large and very ornate.



After having seen the Capitol, we decided that we had to stop by Senator Dick Durbin’s office for the work on the DREAM Act and for his advocacy of Oscar Vazquez, a former Falcon Robotics team member who was on the team that beat MIT in the underwater competition in 2004. While the senator was not in, we got to meet with some of his senior staff, Joe Zogby Chief Counsel to

Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin, and his assistant. It was wonderful to meet people who are very committed and who have been pushing for the DREAM Act for 9 years! Senator Durbin and his office were instrumental in helping Oscar to get back into the U.S. and we wanted to thank them for all their hard work. We were quite surprise that Joe knew who we were by name and knew our whole story. We always tell the kids at Carl Hayden that people all over the U.S. are watching us because of the stuff we are doing and its true! Here is a link to Senator’s Durbin’s webpage with Oscar on it, http://durbin.senate.gov/dream/stories/index2.cfm



After about a half hour of meeting with Durbin’s staff, we decided to visit McCain’s office to mention that we think he should support the DREAM Act. We left a letter with his office to pass on to the senior staff or McCain himself. Following our “civic homework” we decided it was time again to become tourists. We then ate Polish dogs from a hot dog stand. It was good! I know this has been said before, but it bears mentioning every time you do it. Hot dogs always taste really good outside, especially when its windy and chilly!



We went to the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. Words cannot describe the feeling of seeing a V-2 Rocket or the Spirit of St. Louis, or the Wright Flyer, or the Apollo capsule, or the Gossamer Condor or even the Brietling Orbiter. It was like walking through an encyclopedia! We saw the astronaut mission photos and found Charles “Pete” Conrad’s picture several times and felt connected to him by having been in the Spirit of Innovation Awards and by knowing Nancy Conrad personally. It was really cool!



All the kids and Mrs. Palmares and I all felt hungry by now and wanted to eat before we had to get back on the Metro to head back to the Hotel. We walked over a mile to get to the middle eastern restaurant we wanted to eat at to find it closed. We then back tracked into China Town to eat at Absolute Tai,a tai restaurant. My dish was good, but some of the kids found it less than desirable. I have a feeling we will be ordering pizza tonight at the hotel.



Our plan for tomorrow is to hit the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial and then head down the mall to see the USA Science & Engineering exhibits. We will also check out our stage area to see if our crates have arrived and are ready for our presentation on Sunday.

Falcon Robotics in DC day 1 & 2

Summary of the first two days in Washing DC for the USA Science & Engineering Festival


The Falcon Robotics team was invited by Lockheed Martin and the Conrad Foundation to show their EVROV, Extra Vehicular Remotely Operated Vehicle, at the festival. The Whole festival will be in several locations with a majority of it being on the mall between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. For info http://www.usasciencefestival.org/



So the trip begins at a bleary eyed 5am at Sky Harbor where we all meet and check in our luggage. We then wander over to security and make our way to the gate. We have about a half an hour before we board the plane so we grab coffee and such to try to get more alert. The plane trip was pretty uneventful except for the fact that there seemed to be a large group of elderly women all wearing princess crowns. They look like there were going to some convention or something and they were loud! It was hard to catch any sleep on the plane due to their exuberance, and their laughter was too much! They were definitely having a good time.



Once we arrive at the Baltimore Washington International Airport, or Thurgood Marshall Airport, we gathered up our luggage and started to determine the best method of travel to get to the hotel. We decided on a bus that would take us to a drop off point where we could then call the hotel shuttle to come pick us up.



At the Hotel we finally met up with Norma who is attending school at Smith College,(Norma, John and David have already graduated and are accompanying Eddie and Bianca courtesy of the Conrad Foundation) and took the Amtrack to meet up with us. We unloaded our baggage and started to search for a place to get a meal. We located a Chinese place within walking distance and made our way there. It was good! We were ready to make our way back to the hotel and plan our attack for the next day. The problem was that there is a three hour time difference and we are on Arizona time. So bed time for us, 10 pm is really 1am DC time.......



The next morning we we all met in the lobby to take the hotel shuttle to the Metro so we can take the train into the heart of the DC area. We arrived at the Metro station and had no clue from the myriad of options on the machines and what payment fee we had to make. After fumbling around for about 10 minutes and not getting much help from anybody we finally figured out what the heck we were supposed to do. You would think we really looked out of place and someone would help but...... maybe they all just liked looking at how “not from here” we looked and were snickering behind our backs.



After making to the exit we decided would get us to the Mall we started to get our bearings with Bianca’s maps and John’s Cell phone with GPS! We found the mall but no sign of any Science & Engineering Festival stuff. We did find were we are to do the presentation on Sunday after taking an unintetional tour of the Mall area and found it was right where we got of the Metro train. That will be very easy for us on Sunday! At this time we got a call from Nancy Conrad, the person in charge of our being here and head of the Conrad Foundation. She mentioned that she was going to be on a panel for a presentation on Competition in Education and would like it if we could find our way there. With John’s trust GPS phone we located the Hyatt and found the conference room that she would be talking in. We were an hour early so we decided to head out to the Spy Museum. On the way out we bumped into Bruce Lintin, Vice President of Planning and Field Operations for FIRST. We found out that he was going to be on the same panel as Nancy and were thrilled we saw FIRSTer there. Once we were outside we ran into an electric car exhibit. Siemans had an electric charging station that they were showing off. It is now the standard system adopted by the U.S.. There was also a SMART car there that was converted to electric and utilized the same batteries that are found a Tesla Roadster. http://www.teslamotors.com/ This is the same setup that we read about in Josh Davis’s article in Wired Magazine http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/09/ff_tesla/ We thought it was cool that we could actually call up the author of the story in Wired and tell him that e are looking at what he wrote about!



When the hour was up we went to the panel discussion and were mentioned by both Nancy and Bruce and the talk was very positive and reflective of what the state of education is and where it should be going. All in all it was great! John spoke up, as well as Eddie, about what they gained from being involved in STEM competitions. We took pictures with Nancy and Bruce as they were leaving the presentation.



The team decided it was time to eat a burger for we GPSed a Fudruckers had a late lunch. Eddie and Bianca tried the buffalo burger, Mrs. Palmares had a salad, John, Norma and David had regular burgers and I tried the wild bore burger. Ostrich was out of season.....



After our late lunch we started heading back to the train and found a farmer’s market, where everything was fresh and natural, no artificial anything. The kids bought some fruit and we then made our way back to the train and missed a transfer, so we had to wait until the train came back to the transfer point and switched the the right train for the remainder of the journey back to the hotel.



Tomorrow brings a day of sightseeing, we have it on our agenda to see the Capitol, the Air and Space Museum and the Lincoln Memorial . It will be neat to see if we can actually pull it off.

Subconn Bulkhead Connectors Diagram

Here is the drawing of the connectors needed