Skip to main content

LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Launch in CHINA for LEGO Education ...Dear diary,

By

July 15, 2013 - Changchun
Landing to Changchun, China. Woohoo! However my luggage -including what's important …my EV3 robots- are still missing somewhere in Beijing (don't ask, my fault apparently).  A warm welcome from Eric Steenstra and LEGO Education’s territory manager at the airport and everything feels much better!

July 16, 2013
We have to prepare the setup in Changchun. My robots are still in Beijing and news are not so optimistic.  We decide to proceed to plan-B: Build and program a new set of robots within the next 12 hours. I, Eric and the guys from LEGO Education we start working hard ...well we're not really stressed because we can do it! Late at night my robots arrive in Changchun!!! Everything looks cool now! 

July 17, 2013
The campus of the Changchun university is huge and superb, full of kids of all ages and thousands of Chinese teachers. The national robotic competition (FLL) is held at the Sport and Culture center of the campus and in a separate area we 're demonstrating our EV3 models. 
Eric and I, a kid controlling my soccer-bot and the LEGO Education crew in Changchun
Eric with runs his line followers and Martyn's bonus model and I with my EV3 soccer robots with the 2-gyro/single-hand EV3 controllers (ST3FILALA design). 

Of course, EV3RSTORM is here too! The kids are having a blast!!! 
EV3RSTORM and fans!
Some interviews at the Chinese Television and many discussions with kids and teachers. Late at night we are flying to Beijing!

July 18, 2013 - Beijing 
Everything should be perfect for the grand launch! …quite stressful day! Ask Eric!!! 

July 19th, 2013 
The official EV3 launch is held in the famous Water Cube (2008 Beijing Olympic Stadium). Since the morning the wonderful reception and showroom areas are busy with journalists, media and students. Inspiring speeches by the LEGO Education's director of sales from Billund, the manager in China, the CEO of the local distributor (SEMIA) and Ethan Danahy, research assistant professor from TUFTS.

On stage with our robots and LEGO Education's Gyro Boy and Elephant
The new LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Education models perform amazingly on stage. Then Eric and I we're presenting some of the EV3 features and demonstrating our models. Great moments! 
Eric's line follower (with mechanum wheels and 4 colour sensors),  EV3RSTORM and my ST3FILALA soccer robots

Later, press conference, pictures for magazines and lot of interviews. The day ends with a wonderful celebration dinner! WOW …everything was fantastic!

July 20th, 2013
Back to the airport and finally all safe to our homes with lot of great memories! 

THANK YOU CHINA!
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 3

By Asha Seshan - ROBOTMAK3R
The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these Fall and Winter remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with. Braill3 by Jerry Nicholls Braill3 is an EV3-based LEGO Braille bricks reader. This robot uses its fingertip, made from three touch switches, to read messages written using the LEGO Braille bricks and will speak out what it detected. If it sees a simple maths problem it will attempt to solve it and give the answer as well. To learn more about the process of creating this machine, read Jerry's blog . Braill3 can be viewed here . Set Review: The Braille Bricks set is well thought out. The ratios of the letters is suitable for general use and the addition of some punctuation and arithmetic operators is excellent. There is a card showing what bricks there are and their quantities, but no form of sort
Read more

Celebrating 25 Years of MINDSTORMS

By Asha Seshan - ROBOTMAK3R
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS, we take a trip through history. Please also visit ROBOTMAK3RS Community every week as we highlight different projects all through 2023 in celebration of the anniversary. Some of the early history is based on the content shared by  Coder Shah  in our  MINDSTORMS EV3 Community Group . Some of the text and links may have been edited from his original posts for consistency and clarity.  1984 - Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen watched a TV program called "Talking Turtle," where MIT professor Seymour Papert demonstrated how children could control robot "turtles" using LOGO, a programming language he developed. 1988 - The collaboration between MIT and LEGO resulted in LEGO TC Logo in 1988, which allowed students to control LEGO models using computer commands. The video shows Papert demonstrating TC Logo. 1990 - LEGO TC Logo was hampered since the robots you built had to be tethered to a personal computer. LEGO and MIT
Read more

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 2

By Asha Seshan - ROBOTMAK3R
The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these summer and fall remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with. Remote controlled material handle r by Jozua van Ravenhorst (aka Mr Jo) This remix combines the LEGO Technic Material Handler (42144) with MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313) It uses the power of pneumatic cylinders to move objects around. By using a bluetooth remote control, very precise movements can be made with this model. Touch sensors in the base chassis prevent the turret twisting the cables that go through the turntable to much. The program has several protections to prevent over pressurizing the system for each of the 3 individual pumps and valves that control the 2 booms and claws. The real version of this machine is mostly used in waste material sites to bring the material to machines that sort and
Read more