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 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or leave the list". -- VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ADMIN-L. Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-admin-l.html to subscribe.