High Altitude LEGO® Extravaganza (H.A.L.E.) Commemorates 10 Year Anniversary of LEGO MINDSTORMS® by Launching Robotic Experiments to Near Space
Science experiment leverages best-selling LEGO product to study outer atmosphere, proving play and learning go hand-in-hand
RENO, Nev., July 29, 2008 -- College professors, middle school students and robotics hobbyists unite today to launch seven robots into the Earth's stratosphere to collect data, explore conditional effects and to set a world record as part of the High Altitude LEGO® Extravaganza. Joining The LEGO Group to support the science experiment are Nevada Space Grant, the University of Nevada-Reno, Energizer and National Instruments in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the LEGO MINDSTORMS® robotics platform.
The MINDSTORMS robots will be launched from a desert location 30 miles East of Reno, Nevada into near space on an atmospheric weather balloon that will reach an altitude of more than 100,000 feet (30km). Once it reaches maximum altitude, the balloon will burst and the robots will parachute back down to the Earth individually or as a group depending on the robot's desired experiment. Results from the experiment will be posted online at http://www.mindstorms.com.
"When we developed MINDSTORMS, our goal was to pioneer a revolutionary play experience that combined the best of LEGO building with the power of new technologies to enable children to design, build and program robots," said Steven Canvin, global manager for The LEGO Group. "Little did we know that the potential of the kit would spark the imagination of users of all ages and lead to such innovative, playful and practical applications; MINDSTORMS is now used around the world to entertain, educate and energize innovation in homes, in schools, universities and businesses."
"The H.A.L.E. project underscores how play can lead to discovery and learning for children and adults alike," Canvin continued. "This is what we believe has made MINDSTORMS so globally successful over the last 10 years."
Brian Davis, a part-time professor at Indiana University, contributed two of his custom robots to the experiment. The first has been programmed to automate an off-the-shelf digital camera to take both still and video images while in the balloon. The second robot will attempt a world record for the longest MINDSTORMS NXT free-fall; the robot will detach from the balloon at maximum altitude and fall until a pre-programmed parachute is deployed.
"I love building LEGO mechanisms because the inherent limitations and versatility of the medium offer unique design challenges," said Davis. "Additionally, since LEGO bricks are infinitely reusable, I can build and test prototypes much faster than I could in other mediums. I'm excited to take my experiments to a new level; I've never tried to build a robot that could function under these conditions and function right the very first time. 100,000 feet above ground is no place for a mistake."
Children are also getting involved in H.A.L.E. FIRST LEGO League Team 90 from Virginia is getting a head start on this year's annual challenge, "Climate Connections", by sending up a robot they created that has been programmed to measure and log UV radiation as a function of altitude while on board the weather balloon.
"I am confident that the team will learn something about earth science and Global Warming through this program," said David Levy, coach of the team. "We are treating our participation as a FIRST LEGO League research project for the upcoming season's challenge, so I expect that the team will learn how to seek out the advice of experts in the field, come up with their own solutions through experimentation, document their work and have lots of fun in the process."
Other robots will seek to collect data in relation to ozone concentration, the impact of varying temperatures and air pressure on objects, particles in the air, impact of flight conditions and varying g-forces as a function of altitude.
Energizer provided H.A.L.E. participants with long-lasting Energizer® Lithium AA batteries, which are 33 percent lighter than ordinary alkaline batteries and perform in extreme temperatures from -40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to 60 degrees C), which are ideal for the conditions the robots are anticipated to experience on the balloon.
About LEGO MINDSTORMS
LEGO MINDSTORMS provides LEGO pieces, a microcomputer, high-tech motors and sensors and programming software to create endless opportunities for armchair inventors, robotics fanatics and LEGO builders ages 10 and older to build and program robots that do what they want. The original Robotics Invention System™ launched in 1998, featuring the first "smart" LEGO brick -- the RCX -- a microcomputer developed in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, and was re-invented in 2006 with the launch of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT.
Since its launch, users have created amazing robotic solutions to some of life's most ordinary -- and extraordinary -- problems. From sorting candy, opening a door and shuffling and dealing a game of Poker to watering plants, scrubbing a toilet and even solving a scrambled Rubik's Cube, the versatility and potential of the MINDSTORMS platform is constantly tested and proven by its community of users.
To date, LEGO MINDSTORMS is the best-selling product ever in LEGO Group history, with well over one million smart bricks being used worldwide today.
About The LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately-held, family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark. One of the world's leading manufacturers of creatively educational play materials for children, the company is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities. Employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: "Only the best is good enough." Find more information online at http://www.LEGO.com.
LEGO and MINDSTORMS are registered trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2008 The LEGO Group.
This robot will perform an automated free-fall in an attempt to set the record for the longest MINDSTORMS NXT free-fall. The robot will be detached from the main balloon near maximum altitude and will free-fall until the parachute deploys.
The robot will be an automated camera platform that will take both video and still images. The MINDSTORMS NXT will control all image timing as well as pitch angle
A FIRST LEGO League Climate Connections team will build a robot to measure UV radiation as a function of altitude. The MINDSTORMS NXT will not only data log the UV sensor readings, but will also be used to rotate the UV filters in position as well as control the robot heater with a temperature sensor.
A group of 4th grade students will investigate the impact of flight conditions on yellow marshmallows (a.k.a peeps). The MINDSTORMS NXT will be recording temperature and pressure during the mission.
The robot will be measuring the change in g-forces as a function of altitude. The robot will repeatedly drop a tethered Wii-mote at different altitudes to measure the acceleration experience.
The robot will be using an RCX to measure ozone concentration, air pressure, temperature (inside and outside) and reflected light from earth during the descent.
The robot will be using filtering papers to capture particles and/or chemicals in the air during the balloon ascent and descent periods. The LEGO Mindstorms NXT will be used to provide a mechanism to switch filtering papers to capture the materials in the air and then keep the papers in a secured compartment. The filtering papers will be retrieved and analyzed to see what chemicals and particles exist in different altitudes.
