NXT-G Programming for Nature's Fury

In the First LEGO League tournament one of the competition areas is the Robot Game Performance. Teams must program their robots to autonomously perform tasks on a game mat, sort of like a obstacle course. Here is a couple of our programs:

Tsunami

On some missions we combined several tasks

Base Isolation + Evacuation Sign + Safety

*

FEMA Think Tank Ideas

We sent all our ideas to different agencies, such as our pamphlet. Also, FEMA Think Tank Ideas took our idea and put it on their website. We sent our Volcanic Protective Outfit agency to:

FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency Think Tank Ideas

P.O. Box 10055

Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
The page url for the Volcanic Protective Outfit is: 

http://fema.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Preparedness-Protective-Outfits-for-Volcanic-Eruptions/463375-14692

Sharing Our Research & Innovations

Sharing Our Innovations

We shared our research findings and our pamphlet, A Guide to Surviving  Volcanic Eruptions, with family, friends, neighbors, fellow FLL teams, and the world-wide community through our blog: www.vulcabotz.blogspot.com.  We also mailed our pamphlet to the following agencies:

American Red Cross National Headquarters

2025 E Street, NW

Washington, DC 20006

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Rd

Atlanta, GA 30333

Federal Emergency Management Agency

P.O. Box 10055

Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055

Controlling Lahars

Lahars

       Lahars are volcanic mudslides. Lahars are created during an eruption, when ice and snow melts from the extreme heat, and carries ash and debris with it. Lahars are extremely destructive and destroy homes, man-made structures and many forestlands. Lahars can be dangerous for many, many years. After a lahar, some dust particles and debris could be left behind. After a rainfall, the debris and dust particles could form another lahar that would destroy towns and cities. With our irrigation system, we would lessen the damage of lahars and protect homes, man-made structures, cities, towns and forestlands.

Innovation

In this year’s theme, Nature’s Fury, there are three parts, prepare, stay safe, and rebuild. We target both stay safe and rebuild with an irrigation system used to divert a major problem that happened in the previous Mt. St. Helens (Washington USA) eruption - the creation of mudslides, or lahars. Lahars are created when the snow and ice on the volcano melts, because of extreme heat, and as it flows down the mountain, it carries ash and debris with it. Our irrigation system is a series of canals that will divert the lahars to large underground compartments that hold the mud. When the volcanic eruption is over, the lahar can be used to make pottery which would be sold to make money that could go into helping volcano research.

* Photos: USGS & Vulcabotz

Our Robots

Our Robots are Ready for Action!

A Guide to Surviving Volcanic Eruptions

       After researching volcanoes in general, and the Mt. St. Helens volcano in Washington state USA we developed a brochure to help people near volcanoes survive this natural disaster.

Before a Volcano

* Learn about your community warning systems and emergency plans, and be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice.

* Have an emergency disaster plan for you and your family. We recommend that you make sure there is enough gas in your vehicle at all times for an early escape.

*Have a disaster supply kit. We recommend that supplies be stored in a fire retardant high impact- resistant backpack.  

 *Flashlight and extra batteries

 *First aid kit and manual

 *Emergency food in “pop top” cans and water

 *Essential medicines

 *Small battery powered radio

  A personal-size mini GPS system with earphone speaker - This system would be programmed to pick up your current location and lead you by voice (Falling ash would make it hard to see a screen) to a designated safe location.

* As one of our innovations we are recommending a “volcano-protective outfit,” which includes a fire resistant polyester and 35mm PVC hooded jacket” a “hard hat type helmet with goggles and dust mask attached, flame resistant jeans made of 100% cotton denim, gloves featuring a fire and cut-resistant Kevlar, and good pair heavy-duty hiking boots for each member of the household.

* For your pets a fire retardant, high impact resistant backpack (similar to the supplies backpack) for pets of 20lbs total or less. For larger dogs a “doggie protective suit” with loosely fitted leg covers with footies, and a hooded clear visor. The inside of the visor and the back of the suit would have lightweight high impact plastic.

During a Volcano

* Listen to a battery-operated radio for the latest emergency information. 

* Follow the evacuation order issued by authorities. 

* Wear protective clothing, such as:

   A “volcano protective outfit,” which includes a fire resistant polyester & 35mm PVC hooded jacket, a “hard hat-type” helmet with goggles and dust mask attached, flame resistant jeans made of 100% cotton denim, gloves featuring a fire and cut-resistant Kevlar, and good pair of heavy-duty hiking boots.. This will protect you and your family from an Ash Fall, Acid Rain, cinders, and small debris being spurned into the air. 

* If you can drive rather than walk, use your vehicle to evacuate. 

* If a lahar, pyroclastic flow, or lava flow is headed toward you, leave the area immediately. 

* If you have time:

* Close all windows, doors, and dampers.

* Put all machinery inside a garage or barn.

* Bring livestock into closed shelters. 

* Small pets should be placed in the “volcano protective pet carrier backpack” or a regular carrier covered with a wet towel during evacuation.

* If trapped outdoors: Seek shelter indoors.

* If caught in a rock fall; roll into a ball to protect your head; this is where a “protective helmet” would help. 

* During an ashfall it is recommended that one should:

* Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

* Use goggles to protect your eyes.

* Use a dust mask or hold a damp cloth over your face to help breathing.

   This is where a “volcano-protective outfit” with goggles and a dust mask will help protect a person.

* Immediately After a Volcanic Eruption:

You should stay away from volcanic ashfall areas. Stay indoors until local health officials advise it is safe to go outside.

* Parts in RED are innovations by the Vulcabotz *.

* Photos: USGS

Brief History of Mt. St. Helens

Indians on the Cowlitz River watching an eruption of Mount St. Helens, as painted by Canadian artist Paul Kane following a visit to the volcano in 1847 (Photograph courtesy of the Royal Ontario Museum).

Mt. St. Helens used to look like a very beautiful land formation; often referred to as “the Mount Fuji of America.” 

This however, was before the massive eruption of 1980. The volcano had been formed during 4 eruptive stages. The first started about 275,000 years ago. An older volcano had been there, but it didn’t really damage anything or go anywhere except to the base of the volcano. This composite volcano tended to erupt very violently, as many composite volcanoes do. Part of the Ring of Fire, Native Americans named this mountain as “ ‘Louwaia- Clough,’ or ‘smoking mountain.’ ” 

In the past, the volcano had been studied, and evidence of prior eruptions was evident. The volcano had had periods where it had erupted many times, then went into a dormant type of period until the next eruptive period. During the 1980 eruption, pressure was building, which many officials worried about. So, they moved people out of the vicinity. Then, part of the volcano collapsed, simultaneously releasing pressure and letting magma flow out. This release still triggered a minor eruption, where debris was thrown up and lava spewed out. Later, as a second eruption, heat killed many trees, and also made the once dense forest bare. The near-supersonic blast accompanied pyroclastic flows, which covered about 6 square miles. 57 humans were killed during the eruption, along with a blast that covered about 230 square miles. So much thermal energy was released that the amount of trees blown down and killed would have been enough to build 300,000 2-bedroom homes. The landslide stretched about 23 square miles, so the entire devastation and damage was incredibly big. 

* Photos: USGS

About Volcanoes

Volcanoes

A volcano erupts when magma escapes from inside the earth. As the magma is escaping from a confined space, a lot of energy is released with it, as happens with any other explosion. This is why many eruptions also produce huge quantities of gases and dust. Magma sometimes rises under enormous pressure, so it not only finds cracks in the earth’s crust, it can also create them. When magma reaches the earth’s surface it is called lava. There are many ways for a volcano to start erupting. I shall name three ways that volcanoes can erupt. First of all, volcanoes can erupt at a divergent boundary between plates. This is when two plates move apart from each other. Volcanoes can also erupt at a convergent boundary between plates. This is when plates move toward each other, and collide. When plates slide past each other, not only does it create a fault line, it also causes volcanoes to erupt violently. There are three types of volcanoes. They are: subduction volcanoes, rift volcanoes, and hot spot volcanoes. What causes a volcano to stop erupting? A volcano stops erupting when it loses, or uses up the source of heat that melts the rock. If the source of heat returns at a later date, the volcano will erupt again.

How do volcanologists predict eruptions?

According to http://volcanoworld.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/how-do-volcanologists-predict-volcanic-eruptions/, “Seismometers can be used to pinpoint earthquakes which track the rise of magma and its movement along fissures. Measurements of the tilt of the entire mountain provide additional information about the “breathing” of the volcano as magma moves inside it. Instruments that sniff SO2, CO2 and other gases also can signal changes in the volcano.” Communities need to recover from an eruption. People could start by taking care of the ash by wiping it off roofs, driveways, and roads. Keep mind that ash is 10 times as dense as snow, so use heavy-duty equipment to clear out all ash. If there are any damaged properties, then you have to rebuild homes, buildings, and do the same things you would do if the community were stuck by a hurricane.

Why We are Researching Volcanoes

This year’s FIRST LEGO League theme is Nature’s Fury. Our team chose Volcanoes, in particular Mt. St. Helens in Washington state USA, as our research topic, because they pose as a danger to so many people all over the world, but no one knows how to stop them. Volcanoes have people living all around them, and the best thing scientists can do to help the people is evacuate them over an uncertain warning. Many people are very stubborn and don’t want to leave their home, as we saw during Hurricane Sandy. This is why we are addressing the three parts of the Nature’s Fury theme: Prepare – Stay Safe – Rebuild. 

We Are the Vulcabotz!

Hi, we are the Vulcabotz, team # 683. We are competing in the NYC Regional FIRST LEGO League for the 2013-14 season - Nature’s Fury. As you might have guessed from our name, we are focusing on the natural disaster - Volcanoes. Here is a little summary about our team.

A four-year veteran of the First Lego League, Corban is the most experienced (besides Coach Greene) of all the Vulcabotz , a four-person team. He is a seventh grader who is currently attending Hunter College High School. He is 12 years old and loves math, art, Latin, science, and physical education. He has many hobbies, some including hiking, reading, and creating different things. He first joined a First Lego League robotics team because he loves building and programming robots. In addition to learning about teamwork and compromising, he loves the idea of creating an innovation that is better than what is actually out in the virtual world. This year, Corban strives to win 1st place Championship Award at the FIRST LEGO League tournament and complete his dream of being on the team that is the best in the FLL in the entire NYC.  

Joshua is the second most experienced with the First Lego League, as this is his second year on a team. He is in seventh grade and attends M.S. 67Q. He is 12 years old and loves Science Olympiads, math, and social studies. His dream job would be either as a Space Engineer of an Aircraft Designer, since he enjoys designing flying machinery. Some of his hobbies are basketball, swimming, biking, and running. He also enjoys playing Beyblade, playing pranks and practical jokes on his friends, and sewing. He also enjoys playing games that require strategic gameplay, and logic, such as Chess. He loves these types of games, because they are almost never the same. He decided to first join a FIRST LEGO League team, because he thought it would be a good idea to learn how to work with others, robots, and also, it would be fun! 

Ankith is the third most experienced of the Vulcabotz. He is 12 years old and attends the same school as Joshua, M.S. 67Q. He is in seventh grade and enjoys math, science, social studies, and robotics. He would like to become a doctor when he grows up. His favorite hobby is computer programming. He knows BASIC language programming, NXT-G, and is learning JAVA. His favorite things to do are sports and programming computers. During the summer, he went to two LEGO Robotics Camps and learned how to program and control NXT Robots. He joined our LEGO robotics team, because he wants to put his NXT Experience to good use. 

Finally, the oldest person on the Vulcabotz is Matt. The only experience with LEGO he has is playing and building with then in his basement. He has been creating his own original sets, such as Tony Stark’s Lab from Iron Man 3, and a Ninja Dojo for his Ninjago minifigures to train in. For his large scale LEGO projects, he uses LEGO Digital Designer software on his computer, since he doesn’t have enough pieces, yet. He is 13 years old and is in eighth grade. He attends New Hyde Park Memorial High School and loves architecture, social studies, and orchestra (Matt plays the cello). When he grows up, Matt would like to be an author and/or a comic artist for DC Comics. At school, he runs on the track team and does the 100-meter dash only, since he has really bad asthma. Some other sports he enjoys are table tennis and archery. His favorite hobbies are reading (books and comics), drawing superheroes (real and original ones), writing his book, and playing with LEGO. He joined a LEGO robotics team, because he is friends with Joshua, who asked him if he wanted to come. Matt agreed to come because he loves LEGO building and wanted the opportunity to work with the LEGO Mindstorms Robotics kit.