STEM Summer Boot Camp 2013 Grand Champions
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| Team MasterMinds |
LA Delta Community College STEM Summer Boot Camp 2013 Grand Champions!
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Final Point Distribution
The final point distribution is as follows. Congratulations to all teams for their hard work this week!!
1st: Master Minds--199.6
2nd: Cajun Coders--198.4
3rd: Techno Circuits--193.6
Geek Squad--185.6
Knowledge--176.2
Silent but Deadly--168.6
Mad Dogs--149
Burning Matrices--141.6
Sonic--141
Congratulations again to all teams who participated this week.
Day 5: Final Boe-Bot Challenge
Final Robotics Challenge
In the final robotics challenge, teams were required to navigate their Boe-Bots towards a target and knock it over using any programming skills and resources from the entire week. Volunteer Judge Rishanta Trundles presided over the final challenge. Winner: Team MasterMinds
Team Standings before Final Boe-Bot Challenge
The current point distribution before the final boe-bot challenge is as follows. This includes the Cryptographic Treasure Hunt, Boe-Bot challenge 1, Boe-Bot challenge 2, Boe-Bot challenge 3, and the group presentation challenge--What Would You Connect?
Cajun Coders: 198.4
Technocircuits: 193.6
Geek Squad: 185.6
Master Minds: 179.6
Knowledge: 176.2
Silent but Deadly: 150.6
Mad Dogs: 149
The Burning Matrices: 141.6
Sonic: 141
The final Boe-Bot challenge, Search and Destroy, will affect the final point distribution, so all teams need to do their best!
Day 5: "CONNECT" Challenge Re-cap
"CONNECT" Challenge Re-cap
In one of the last challenges of the week, teams developed ideas for a product of the future that would utilize Internet connectivity and presented their ideas in front of a panel of judges. Teams were critiqued based upon clear articulation of product function, target audience and promotional agenda. Effective presentation delivery was also scored. Winner: Cajun Coders.
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| Judges (left to right:) Rishanta Trundles CenturyLink, Mille Atkins CenturyLink, Brandon Foster Dow, Ashlee Bell West Monroe High School, Joey Higuera Engineering Student @ LA Tech |
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| Technocircuits |
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| Geek Squad |
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| Knowledge |
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| Mad Dogs |
Cajun Coders
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| Master Minds |
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| Sonic |
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| The Burning Matrices |
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| Silent But Deadly |
"What Would You Connect..." Presentation Results
The winners of the "What Would You Connect?" group presentation are the Cajun Coders. The Cajun Coders presented the Smart Washer, a washer/dryer combination that connects to the internet, notifies users of the status of their laundry, and detects any troublesome pocket materials. Congratulations Cajun Coders!
Total Points Distribution at the End of Day 4
The total point distribution for the end of Day4 includes Boe-bot Challenges 1, 2, and 3 as well as the current point totals for the Cryptographic Treasure Hunt. Remember, there are still plenty of points available!
TechnoCircuits: 82
Geek Squad: 80
Knowledge: 71
Geek Squad: 80
Knowledge: 71
Mad Dogs: 64
Cajun Coders: 61
Cajun Coders: 61
Master Minds: 61
Sonic: 54
The Burning Matrices: 36
Silent but Deadly: 36
Day 4: Robotics Challenge # 3
Robotics Challenge #3: Avoid the Road Blocks!
In today's challenge, campers utilized information from the morning's lesson and infrared technology to navigate a series of roadblacks. Volunteer judge Varner Rencher of CenturyLink presided over today's challenge. Team Geek Squad was the challenge winner.
Day 4: Guest Speaker Penny Earnst Discusses the Benefits of a STEM Career
Guest Speaker: Penny Earnst of Dow Chemical Discusses the Benefits of a STEM Career
The camp was treated to a special talk during the lunch session as Penny Earnst addressed the group concerning the benefits of a STEM learning and how it directly relates to viable careers at Dow.
Dow is committed to encouraging the youth to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and currently employs multiple interns from programs like Louisiana Delta Community College's Process Technology program.
Dow's storied history, global reach, and socially responsible commitments illustrate a stable company committed to positive change locally and abroad.
Day 4: The Arguments For and Against Technology
Liberal Arts: Debating the Positive and Negative Impacts of Technology
In a thought provoking discussion, West Monroe High School English instructor Ashlee Bell encouraged campers to think about the impacts of technology, both good and bad, on society.
Debate revolved around key questions including: How much technology is too much? Is technology like Google increasing the overall intelligence of our world or is that same technology not allowing us to utilize our brains to solve problems on our own? What would the world be like if computers did not exist and could we adapt if tomorrow they disappeared?
Day 4: Robotics Navigation with Infared LEDs
Robotics Class: Using Infrared Headlights to "See" the Road
Today's hottest products seem to have one thing in common:
wireless communication. Personal organizers beam data into desktop computers, and
wireless remotes let us channel surf. Many remote controls and PDA’s use signals in
the infrared frequency range to communicate, below the visible light spectrum. With
a few inexpensive and widely available parts, the BASIC Stamp can also receive and
transmit infrared light signals.
Infrared: Infra means below, so Infra-red is light (or
electromagnetic radiation) that has lower frequency, or longer wavelength than red
light. Students were instructed to use infrared light to illuminate the robot’s path and determine when the light reflects off an
object.
The infrared object detection system we’ll build on the
Boe-Bot is like a car’s headlights in several respects. When the light from a car’s headlights
reflects off obstacles, your eyes detect the obstacles and your brain processes them and
makes your body guide the car accordingly. The Boe-Bot uses infrared LEDs for
headlights. They emit infrared, and in some cases, the infrared reflects
off objects and bounces back in the direction of the Boe-Bot. The eyes of the Boe-Bot are
the infrared detectors. The infrared detectors send signals indicating whether or not
they detect infrared reflected off an object. The brain of the Boe-Bot, the BASIC Stamp, makes
decisions and operates the servo motors based on this sensor input.
The IR detectors have built-in optical filters that allow
very little light except the 980 nm infrared that we want to detect with its internal photodiode
sensor. The infrared detector also has an electronic filter that only allows signals
around 38.5 kHz to pass through. In other words, the detector is only looking for infrared
that’s flashing on and off 38,500 times per second. This prevents IR interference from common
sources such as sunlight and indoor lighting. Sunlight is DC interference (0 Hz), and
indoor lighting tends to flash on and off at either 100 or 120 Hz, depending on the main
power source in the region. Since 120 Hz is outside the electronic filter’s 38.5 kHz
band pass frequency, it is completely ignored by the IR detectors.
Total Point Distribution at the End of Day 3
The total point distribution for the end of Day 3 includes Boe-bot Challenges 1 and 2 as well as the current point totals for the Cryptographic Treasure Hunt. Remember, there are still plenty of points available!
Knowledge: 71
TechnoCircuits: 64
Master Minds: 61
Sonic: 54
Geek Squad: 49
Cajun Coders: 37
Mad Dogs: 36
The Burning Matrices: 28
Silent but Deadly: 24
Day 3: Robotics Challenge #2
Robotics Challenge #2: Whisker Maze
In this challenge, teams used information learned earlier in the day to navigate through a maze of based on tactile feedback through metal antennae. Guest judge of the day Kenny Bush from Lamb Weston witnessed the exciting competition. The team to complete the challenge first was Team Mad Dogs, the winners of challenge #2.
Day 3: Marketing and Presenting the "Connected" Product
Liberal Arts Class: Marketing and Presenting the "Connected" Product
One of the challenges that each team has to devote resources to is the development and presentation of a potential product with connectivity and functionality dependent upon the Internet. In the morning liberal arts session, Professor of Business and Technology Ryan Pierce reviewed some technology already in existence that performs these functions, explored topics related to product development, discussed methods of promoting those products, and gave tips on how to deliver a solid persuasive presentation.
Day 3: Robotics Input Programming with LEDs and Whiskers
Robotics Class: Tactile Navigation and Input Programming with LEDs and Whiskers
Many types of robotic machinery rely on a variety of tactile switches. For example, a tactile switch may detect when a robotic arm has encountered an object. The robot can be programmed to pick up the object and place it elsewhere. Factories use tactile switches to count objects on a production line, and also for aligning objects during industrial processes.
In all these instances, the switches provide inputs that dictate some other form of programmed output. The inputs are electronically monitored by the product, be it a robot, or a calculator, or a production line. Based on the state of the switches, the robot arm grabs an object, or the calculator display updates, or the factory production line reacts with motors or servos to guide products.
Students were challenged to build tactile switches, called whiskers, onto their Boe-Bots and test them. Once tested, the student must also program the Boe-Bot to monitor the state of these switches, and decide what to do when it encounters an obstacle. The end result is autonomous navigation by touch.
The LEDs have a variety of uses, but for this project are best suited as a reporting mechanism, indicating which whisker has been activated
Instructors Laura Duke and Chantain Greer led the teams in this lesson.
Current Points Distribution
The current point totals include the Boe-Bot Challenge: Follow the Line as well as any points groups have acquired through the Cryptographic Treasure Hunt.
TechnoCircuits: 32
Cajun Coders: 28
Geek Squad: 27
Silent But Deadly: 20
Master Minds: 20
Sonic: 20
Knowledge: 16
The Burning Matrices: 15
Mad Dogs: 11
Please remember, there are still plenty of points up for grabs. Keep working hard and having fun!
Day 2 : Robotics Challenge #1
Robotics Challenge #1: Follow the Line
Utilizing the methods and concepts learned from the morning sessions, each team was required to wire and program their robot to follow a black line on a light background. The teams consumed all available time (2 hours) to finish the task and were tireless in their efforts to solve the puzzle. Guest judge and CenturyLink volunteer Rishanta Trundles was on hand to supervise the competition. Team Silent But Deadly won this challenge.
Day 2: Computer Science Lesson in Cryptology
Computer Science: Cryptology
The final lesson of the morning hinged on the study of communicating using protocols that afford information security, data confidentiality and integrity, and require authentication. Prof. Greer led this discussion and explored various cryptographic methods utilized throughout history.
The Caesar cipher (or Caesar code) has been widely used because of its simplicity. It is a type of substitution cipher in which each letter in the plaintext is replaced by a letter some fixed number of positions down the alphabet. For example, with a left shift of 3, the letter "D" would be replaced by "A", "E" would become "B", and so on. The method is named after Julius Caesar, who used it in his private correspondence.
The Vigenere cipher is a method of encrypting alphabetic text by using a series of different Caesar ciphers based on the letters of a keyword
A cryptogram is a type of puzzle that consists of a short piece of encrypted text. Generally the cipher used to encrypt the text is simple enough that the cryptogram can be solved by hand. "E" is good letter to help solve cryptograms because most English words end with "E", occurring in that fashion almost 13% of the time.
ASCII is a another character-encoding scheme originally based on the English alphabet. One can encode strings of text based on numerical equivalents. This encoding scheme assists computers in translating human text to machine readable code and vice-versa.
Day 2: Robotics Programming with Photoresistors
Robotics Programming: Photoresistors
West Monroe High School physics and robotics instructor Laura Duke introduced the campers to techniques in making the Boe-Bot recognize the differences in light and dark materials using photoresistors.
A photoresistor is a resistor whose resistance decreases with increasing incident light intensity; in other words, it exhibits photoconductivity. Photoelectric or light sensing devices are used in almost any branch of industry for control,safety,amusement and sound reproduction and inspection and measurement.
When using these types of resistors, the robots can be instructed to move along a path provided there is enough contrast between the light and dark areas for the robot to recognize.
Day 2: Robotics Programming Using Subroutines
Robotics Class: Programming Using Subroutines, Calls, and Comments
This morning's first lesson revolved around the importance of using subroutines and comments in programming. Prof. Greer led the talk stressing the re-usability of subroutines in streamlining code.
By definition, a subroutine is a sequence of program instructions that perform a specific task, packaged as a unit. A subroutine is often coded so that it can be started (called) several times and/or from several places during one execution of the program, including from other subroutines, and then branch back (return) to the next instruction after the call once the subroutine's task is done.
Comments in computer programming are also beneficial to coders in that they annotate the code, highlighting important parts and describing what sections of code do. This can be especially useful for a programmer who has not reviewed the particulars of a program in quite some time and may have forgotten what functions are performed within.
STEM Summer Boot Camp Day 1
STEM Kick-off
The inaugural STEM Summer Boot Camp got off to a fast start today with a non-stop slate of events starting with introductions to the camp and expected outcomes. Campers were split into teams of four or five with each team competing against the other in a series of robotics challenges for top prizes. Prizes include Android tablets, iPod Shuffles, and Skull Candy headphones along with other assorted rewards given throughout the week.
- Be Proactive
- Begin with the End in Mind
- Put First Things First
- Think Win-Win
- Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
- Synergize
- Sharpen the Saw
Ms. Collins expounded upon all of the habits, giving the students valuable guiding principles to employ during the camp and throughout life. The lesson culminated in a group exercise revolving around the third habit, "Put First Things First", where campers were challenged to combine two full bowls of multi-colored stones into just one of the bowls. The first bowl held the largest rocks, representing the most important things one should tend to in life. The other was filled with tiny pebbles, representing those things that tend to distract us from the more important tasks. With some thought, all campers were able to successfully combine the stones but only after fully understanding the guiding principle of the lesson.
Robotics Class: Motion Programming
Things really moved into high gear when computer science professor Chantain Greer took center stage to introduce students to robotics programming techniques utilizing the PBASIC programming language and Parallax Boe-Bots.
The students quickly engaged in this work and programmed their robots to perform maneuvers including moving forward, backward, turning clockwise and counterclockwise.
Building upon this information, campers were then challenged to instruct their robots to perform a series of movements to navigate through a maze.
Their commitment to completing the task spilled over into lunch, where campers contemplated the best ways to accomplish this feat.
CONNECT w/ Brian Heath (CenturyLink)
After lunch, corporate strategist Brian Heath of CenturyLink introduced students to the wide open world of the "Internet of Things (IoT)". Through examples including a dog collar that alerts owners through SMS of its temperature and risk of exhaustion, to sensors placed on cows that report their location and vital signs, Mr. Heath illustrated that anything that can be connected to the Internet will indeed be connected at some point in the future. The data gathered from technologies like these can be very useful and he encouraged all students to peer into the future and envision the next great invention utilizing Internet technology. The students are to present their ideas and marketing plan at the end of the week.
Introduction to Cyber Science and Prezis
To cap off a full day of learning and experimentation, liberal arts instructor Ashlee Bell, English instructor at West Monroe High School, engaged the students in a thought provoking talk on the benefits and pitfalls of technology. Her timely talk reminded the students that as they try to solve the the challenges of the future, they must also be mindful of the negative fallout the technologies may produce. She then segued into an overview of a relatively new zooming presentation technology, Prezi.
In all, campers had a full day of discovery and exploration. More to come on Day 2...
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