Now, consider… Your body is made up of a lot of parts— some so big (like skin, arms, and legs) you can’t miss them; some so small (like platelets, cells, and neurons) you’ll never see them with the naked eye. What happens when one of those parts is damaged? Who fixes them? Where do they get the tools they use? What happens when something (germs, accidents, pollution, junk food) attacks those parts? How can you protect yourself? Who invented things like microscopes? laboratory equipment? artificial arms and legs? tongue depressors? Band-Aids? Think about something as simple as breathing. But breathing is not so simple for people with asthma or influenza. It is not so simple for older people whose lungs are wearing out. They need help just to get enough air. Where would those people be without the doctors and scientists who figured out that they needed more oxygen? Could they live as long without the physicists and mechanical engineers who figured out how to put oxygen in tanks? Would they be able to travel, shop, or play outside without the chemists and mineralogists who figured out how to separate oxygen from plain air? How much harder would their lives be without the electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and programmers who figured out how make that filter small and light enough to carry. What had to happen to make that filter run for hours and hours on batteries? How could your MINDSTORMS NXT robot design help solve one of those problems?
For more information about the Body Forward challenge, visit http://www.firstlegoleage.org
Awards will be given in 4 areas. Award winners will be featured on LEGO MINDSTORMS News.
1) LABORATORY DEVICE: This award goes to the user who creates the most innovative biomedical device to be used in a laboratory to help improve the work of research scientists.
2) BIONICS: This award goes to the most innovative bionic body part.
3) INTERNAL MEDICINE: This award will go to the most innovative Biomedical robotic device that cane be used inside the human body.
4) EXTERNAL DEVICE: This award will go to the most creative design of a biomedical robot that can be used outside the human body.
ALL ENTRIES need to consider what job your biomedical MINDSTORMS NXT robot is designed to do, and at what scale. Well-documented NXTLOGs are a plus!
All entries to NXTLOG fall under the Terms of Service: http://mindstorms.lego.com/nxtlog/Terms.aspx.
Entries must be submitted by April 30, 2011. All entries must be tagged "bodyforward.”
Only LEGO elements may be used.
There's no limit on amount of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT sensors, LEGO MINDSTORMS RCX sensors, motors, NXT programmable bricks, HiTechnic sensors, Codatex RFID sensors, or Bluetooth communication you can use.
A programmable LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT brick must control the robot's actions.
You may enter more than one robot.
You may enter a robot that was previously submitted to NXTLOG (just remember to add the tag, bodyforward).
All documentation must be posted on NXTLOG.
You must include the following in your NXTLOG Building Challenge entry:
• Description - Careful, well-written explanation of how the robot was designed.
• Pictures of the robot - Clear, well lit pictures - (no blurry ones!)
• .rbt Program(s) - Annotations within the programs are a plus!
• (Optional) LEGO Digital Designer File (LDD) - you cannot submit an LDD file only. Your LDD file must document some or all of your robotic entry.
• (Optional) Video - Videos cannot be larger than 4MB and they cannot exceed 2 minutes in length. The allowable video formats are: .mov, .avi, .mpg, .wmv Please only upload only one video per project. Videos cannot contain music. You CAN include the noises that your robot makes. Videos cannot contain people in them Videos cannot contain speech.
The contest will be judged by the NXTLOG moderating team