Laura,

Great answers already received. Just to add another voice...

2. The boundaries on the research project are very broad, allowing 
teams lots of latitude in what "community" to analyze, what problem 
and solution to choose, and how to present results to the community 
and to the judges. The important thing is that they learn something, 
have fun, and learn something about the process of doing research and 
presenting results.

Some teams create impractical solutions to real problems, while some 
create solutions that are actually used. If your team is in the 
former category, and yet keen to get a good response from the judges, 
they might consider jazzing up the project by talking to an expert 
(e.g., someone who works in the field of transportation they've 
chosen), or making sure they do a real job of presenting their work 
to some group or other. They should also be sure that their 
presentation clearly summarizes the required elements and how they 
accomplished them.

3. I agree with advising them to begin with the "default" NXT robot. 
Instructions come with the kit, and can also be found within the NXT 
software I believe. If they decide that robot is inadequate in some 
manner, they can try modifying it. If they are novices, they may not 
want to bother with sensors and just concentrate on being able to 
accomplish some of the straightforward missions near Base. It's nice 
to arrive at the tournament with them feeling comfortable with being 
able to do that, than stressed over trying to get a lot of points. 
There have been plenty of teams who have scored close to nothing with 
the robot and yet had a fun and rewarding season and tournament.

Cheers,
Mike

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