On the way back from the Roboshow

On our way back from the Roboshow we went to Mcdonalds in Carlow.We were hungry.It took a long time to get to Mcdonalds. When we got there we all finished our happy meals really fast.We got toys there too.The girls got a fairy cd rom and a little fairy toy. The boys got a dragon cd rom and dragon cards.
Then when we were driving through Callan we stopped at Callan park. We all went running in. We all climbed onto the roundabout. The boys pushed it and they jumped on. It went really fast.Half the boys fell off! Then we went on the tight rope. It was scary.We also went on the slide. It was really high.
Some of my friends went on the see-saw and the swings .
It was really good fun.
We had to be back in the schoolfor 6 o'clock so went back to the bus and drove back to school. We left our lego in and left it on the tables. We were proud of ourselves and all our hard work up at the Roboshow and we can't wait till next year!!

Roboshow 2008 St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra

On Tuesday the 13th of May I got up at 6:15am and ate my breakfast got dressed and packed my bag because kilvemnon school was going to the Roboshow. The Roboshow is where we show off our LEGO Models. Once we got there we set up our stand. After that we waited until all the other schools were there and with our groups we went and looked at other models. I was with Smiley, The Rose, Danan and Sparkey.We saw a town and robots and an Irish explorer and hydraulic lifts and lots of other models then after that we were on our stand talking about our plane project. It was fun telling other people about our models and then once we finished that we went and looked at other models again. Then we went with the other schools and got our award. Then we went and looked at others models. Once we left we had our lunch on the pitch and played soccer. It was great fun. Once I was on the at the stand I told them about the Control Tower and what it did like help the pilot land and clears them for landing. I told them how long it took to build the airport and lifts. I also told them what the lifts were for. I really enjoyed it.

By B612

The Airport

Name of model:
The airport
2 Timeframe of construction:
months

Team Involved:
B612 and The Rose

Contributors:
Shorty, Red Baron and Jimsey



Initial idea:
They were all building planes and we wanted to build something different so we asked could we build an airport.

Adaptations:
We changed the runway and move the shop because it would not sit. I want to move the toy shop because I don’t like were it is, it is too small.

Changes in the future:
We want to build a toy shop and move the control tower. I want to move the playground because I think that it is not right there.

Programming:
We did not programme yet. I want the control tower to spin and the light to flash. I learned a lot from all the other models that people have built. I really like the Wright Brothers plane that Red Baron built. I also like the plane Ranldo

and wolf built.

Red Baron:Wright brothers 1903 flyer

Name of model:
The Wright Brothers 1903 flyer

Timeframe of construction:
About 12 sessions of LEGO

Team involved:
Only meR

Contributors:
Batman, Jimsey and Past Pupil

Initial idea:
I got the idea of doing the Wright brothers flyer from doing research of the Wright brothers and I found it really interesting. We looked at videos of the plane in flight, it was animated though. I found it interesting learning about how they were bicycle engineers and that they used to make gliders before the engine powered plane. They became interested in flight when they were young. Their father who was a bishop brought them a type of thin that flew by an elastic band. You would twist the rotor blades on top and let go and the blades would spin around making the thing fly.

Adaptations:
I had to change a few things. I built the plane in a way but it didn’t exactly work so I tried something else and that didn’t work. One day I asked Past pupil if he could give me a hand so he helped me with I and we did a thing with gears to work the front part of the plane and sadly that did not work either but eventually we found the right idea and we used pulleys with the elastic bands and it worked so that was good. In the back of the plane it wasn’t hard at all and the first thing we did worked. After a few more LEGO sessions Miss O’Connell saw that the motor wasn’t in the right place and it looked wrong where it was, so I moved it.

Changes in the future:
I am not sure what changes I will have in the future and hopefully I won’t have to make any changes. I will be making the Wright brothers flyer out of lollipop sticks with Danny and a few other people so I am looking to that.

Programming:
The programming on my plane is not so complicated, the plane just goes 0.2 seconds one way and 0.2 seconds the other way and repeats a few more times. The programming on a model is when you can make the plane do what you want and it is controlled by the RCX which is connected to a motor by a wire and the motor spins. You use the computer to program the RCX. An RCX is a control unit that is specially designed for LEGO MINDSTORMS.

Batman: luggage carrier

Name of model:
Luggage Carrier
Time frame of construction:
Five-six weeks

Team involved:
Danan and I

Contributors:
Red Baron, Shorty and Ranaldo

Initial Idea:
At the start I was building a tractor until Ms. O’Connell told us we were doing a plane project, so I changed it to a luggage carrier. I learned about carriers and they transport luggage to the plane. For safety people must their names and addresses on them. I built one trailer on it and it runs by one motor.

Adaptations:
The adaptations will be to maybe add more to it. We are adding a touch sensor. This works by putting your model in front of a wall or book and when the model hits it the sensor tells the car to go back or forward. Sarah and I might add some lights to it as well.

Changes in the future:
Danan and I are thinking of adding a second trailer. I will put some coloured bricks in the second trailer to make it look like luggage. I was thinking of having a mini number plate on the front.

Programming:
Danan and I will make our carrier go forward for three seconds. Then use the touch sensor to make it go back for three seconds, and then it will stop and beep twice.

B612: Hydraulic lift

Name of my model:
Hydraulic lift.

Timeframe of construction:
2-3 months.

Team involved:
Matilda,Red Baron and I.

Contributors:
Smiley and The Rose.

Initial ideas:
Well at first we wanted something to lift the planes up. Then Miss O Connell showed us the Hydraulic lifts on the computer and we raised our hands and teacher gave us the job. We had to make it by following steps on the computer. I thought making it was brilliant but at the same time it was hard. I still enjoyed making it.

Adaptations:
Well at first it kept on breaking so we had to take it apart and we had to make everything stronger. It was really hard. We had to get extra LEGO pieces and then we had to stick them together with flat pieces. It was still fun.

Changes in the future:
I don’t think we will make any changes but we might have to make it even sturdier. It won’t be easy in the future or even now to try and make it sturdier. But all of us will try our best and will hopefully succeed.

Programming:
All we need to make it do is, go up and down.

Ronaldo: The Spitfire

Name of model:
The Spitfire.
Timeframe of construction:
6 days.

Jimsey, Sparky, lynx and Shorty.

Initial idea:
We got our idea for the plane from the plane project that we are doing in school.
We looked at pictures of planes that John Thompson sent us. Patrick and I built 4 planes.

Adaptations:
We changed the wings and the whole plane, because our last one was too big and the wings kept falling.

Changes in the future:
We are planning to make it a bit better than it is right now. By fixing the body of it and making it more stable.

Programming:
We programmed it to go forward, back, forward, back and stop.

Roboshow: Hydraulic Lift

Timeframe of construction:
We are not finished it yet but so far it took us 6 months.

Name: Matilda
Name of my model:
My model is a lift.

Team involved:
B612 and I are building it.

Contributors:
Ronaldo, Smiley and The Rose also helped.

Initial idea:
Well our idea was to build a lift so that we could put it under a platform and then the planes would go onto the platform and it would look like they were flying.

Adaptations:
We had to build another lift so now we have two lifts. We also had to make them stronger so we added some more bricks and made it stronger. We are not finished making the second one stronger yet but we will get to it. We also have to build another plane but this time it has to be really light because all the others are too heavy. They all have motors and a lot of bricks on them.

Changes in the future:
In the future I will have to build a new plane to go on the platform. This plane will have to be light with no motor. I will also have to make the other lift stronger.

Programming:
I haven’t yet programmed the lift but I hope to make it go non-stop up and down.

Preparation for the Roboshow

We are getting ready for the Roboshow in St. Pats in Drumcondra on Tuesday 13th of May next. Here are some of the models we have made for our Airport theme. In this photo you can see the Airport we have built, some of the aeroplanes that are taxiing on the runway and our Control Tower. The top of the Tower rotates and lights up. We will be posting more about our models soon!!

We found this piece on the Digital Schools Website: www.digitalschools.ie. (We are the only Digital School in County Tipperary.)

10th Annual RoboShow
Come and meet Ireland’s future designers, engineers and programmers at the 10th Annual Empowering Minds RoboShow.
This event takes place on Tuesday 13th May 2008 in the main Auditorium in St Patrick’s College Drumcondra and is open to the public from 11 am to 1pm.
The RoboShow is the premier showcase for the Empowering Minds community and allows children (aged 7 – 13 years) and their teachers share the innovative projects they have been constructing over the course of the school year. The children engage in multi-disciplinary cross-curricular learning and make extensive use of a range of digital technologies to build these exciting and imaginative projects.
The project started in 1998 with 4 schools initially and has grown to include schools in Dublin, Kildare, Sligo, Laois, Tipperary, Louth, Kilkenny, Cork and Roscommon. It is anticipated that schools from other regions will soon become part of the ever expanding Empowering Minds community.

Click on the Posts link on the bottom bar of the Player below to hear more about the day in the words of the students.


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