Video tutorials -

• FIRST LEGO League

In this video tutorial we look at Vertical Lift Attachments. The attachment, the root and the mission model are all build from LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor 51515 set. We've found that vertical lift attachments that could lift missions models vertically could be quite useful for FIRST LEGO League competitions. This attachment is one of the more complex attachments and some say it has an "eye opening" mechanism as you can learn so much from it. It uses gear wheels and two levers connected to those gear wheels to lift a part vertically.

In this video tutorial with LEGO SPIKE Prime we accomplish M02 Oil Platform from the FIRST LEGO League 2022-2023 SUPER POWERED robotics competition. We use the Kriket box robot and an attachment that allows us to lift. The actions of the mission is between Lift and Push, be because it is vertical.. we choose Lift. Checkout the full tutorial for all the 3 missions in a single run.

This video tutorial had a different idea than what we recorded. We planned for a push/pull attachment as we've shown such attachments for LEGO Education SPIKE PRIME and LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3. However, the issues with LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor set 51515 is that we could not figure out an easy way to build a push pull attachment that meets our criteria for an attachment. Because of this we made a slight modification on the idea and it is again push/pull attachment but not moving in a line but in a circle - circular movement.

This video tutorials shows how we accomplish a specific mission model from FIRST LEGO League 2022-2023 SUPER POWERED robotics competition. The mission is called - M11 Hydroelectic Dam and in the tutorial we accomplish part of it. In other tutorials when we get back with the SPIKE Kriket box robot we have more time to accomplish the rest of the missions.

Following the Advance Light/Color sensors calibration for a minimum value for a single sensor tutorial, in this one, we continue with finding the maximum value detected by a sensor and storing this value in an array.

Construct two legs for both sides of the robot. The task for this video is to attach this two legs on both sides and to build a system of gears and axles that power those legs.

In this video tutorial we demonstrate a really important concept for FIRST LEGO League competitions - you position the robot on the field with depending on timers and rotations. The issue with moving the robot for 10 seconds and then stopping is that every time it is in a different location. Same for rotations. The wheels will slip, the battery will change, something will happen and the robot will not be in the same place every time. This is not consistent and reliable.

In this video tutorial we try to move forward with a LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor robot and we try to keep a straight line using the Motion Sensor. Without entering into the details of the programming we demonstrate what is the behavior of the robot when trying to keep a straight line with the Motion Sensor while we are participating in a FIRST LEGO League competition.

This is a teacher's note about the math behind calculating gear ratios with for our lifting attachment. It math model we build in previous tutorials is not exactly correct and here is the explanation why.

The important task before the solution. If you haven't done it already, then attach a new axle at the front of the robot and extend the construction with gear wheels and axles to reach the two legs at the two sides of the robot. 

As an exercise try to implement the calibration of the minimum and maximum values for a single sensor. 

In this video tutorial we demonstrate how to accomplish M09 of FIRST LEGO League 2023-2024 MASTERPIECE Challenge. The robot is Chain Monster - a LEGO Education SPIKE Prime robot. It pulls the mission model and precisely positions it in the designated area. An interesting aspect is that the robot must rotate to position the loop correctly, so pay close attention when programming it.

Implement the program for array initialization.

Follow the video tutorials for initializing arrays and implement the program. 

Sometimes the answer that you get by calculating seems not to be right. Is it the calculation that is wrong. Probably it is not the calculation, but something is happening with the robot. 

The task in this tutorial is to execute the program 10 times and to do it yourself. If you have your attachment then use it. If you have our attachment then use it. But execute the program 10 times and make sure that it works. 

In this video tutorial the Chain Monster box robot accomplishes a mission that requires two actions. We should lift up (lever) and push almost at the same time on the mission model for it to release the batteries. These mission model is from the FIRST LEGO League 2022-2023 SUPER POWERED competition.

This video tutorial contains a detailed explanation on how we accomplish the FIRST LEGO League 2018-2019 Into Orbit mission called M05. EXTRACTION. On every robotics competition we have the challenge to collect, carry and return to base a number of objects. It is just in different way every time.

Let us do a quick recap of the whole lifting mission and its solution

With this first tutorial on the Motion Sensor in the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor course we demonstrate the basic algorithm for moving in a straight line with the Motion Sensor. From here all the other algorithms are modifications, and if you know the basic it will be easier to tweak the behavior for your particular challenge

This video tutorial contains a detailed explanation on how we accomplish the FIRST LEGO League 2018-2019 Into Orbit mission called M14. METEOROID DEFLECTION. The mission is a simple throw of a ball. But of course the ball should reach a specific mission model and arrive at a specific place. And that's always challenging.

This is the 10 out of 10 version of executing 3 missions in a single run. It worked like a charm! 10 times. We push and collect energy units for the FIRST LEGO League 2022-2023 SUPERPOWERED Challenge competition.

This is a 10 out of 10 video tutorial that demonstrates the consistency and reliability of the robot that accomplishes the Unlock Cargo Plane mission. The attachment is an active attachment with gear wheels. It has a single lever constructed from 2 beans and we use this attachment to push on the mission model.

Following the previous tutorials from the course, implement the calibration of the minimum and maximum values. 

This is a 10 out of 10 tutorial in which the MiniBox robot accomplishes the M12, M13, and M15 of the FIRST LEGO League 2023-2024 MASTERPIECE Challenge competition. The MiniBox is a LEGO Education SPIKE Prime box robot that uses detachable attachments.

In this run, the robot performs five actions: it collects the M15 minifigure and throws it backward, rotates the chicken for M12, and then pushes and pulls the M13 Craft Creator mission model. All of these actions are completed in under 15 seconds!

If you've done the calculation following the previous tutorials you would arrive at a result of 18.75 rotations. But this is not the correct answer. The calculation is wrong, because the math model that we've built, although kind of obvious, is not correct. When experimenting the correct number of rotations would be 37.5. This is a large difference. Two times larger. Exactly two times large. Something should be happening here - and this thing is "planetary mechanism"

This is a 10 out of 10 tutorial, demonstrating the consistency and reliability of the active attachment for switching the engine in this mission. The power is transferred through a system of gear wheels to a lever at the end. We presume that the robot is already positioned.