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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