National Instruments and FIRST An Engineering Education Continuum

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National Instruments and FIRSTAn Engineering
Education Continuum
Embargoed until April 17, 2008
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STEM Education

• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
  Education
• Prepares students to pursue careers in
  engineering, science or technology-related fields

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Needs in STEM Education

• Integrate theory with hands-on, experiential
  learning
• Collaborative, project-based learning
• Strong social relevance
• Design, creativity and innovation

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Where is the engineer of 2020?
In 4th Grade 10 year olds!
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Transforming the Academic Landscape
Rocket Science
Kindergarten
TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUE
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Tech Savvy Generation
5 Years Old Music with iPod
22 Years Old Unmanned Vehicles
8 Years Old LEGO
12 Years Old Gaming Consoles
18 Years Old Segway Clone
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New Wave of Engineering Education
Kindergarten
Rocket Science
HANDS-ON, PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
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LabVIEW K to Rocket Science!
CERN Large Hadron Collider the most powerful
Instrument on earth
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT the smartest, coolest toy
of the year
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Project-Based Learning in High Schools
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Vision

• to create a world where science and technology
  are celebrated
• where young people dream of becoming science and
  technology heroes
• Dean Kamen
• Founder

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Organization Programs

• Mission is to INSPIRE, not EDUCATE
• BUT look at what is involved
• Math (algebra, geometry, trig, calculus)
• Science (physics, chemistry, experimentation)
• Language arts (writing, public speaking)
• Business (marketing, PR, fundraising)
• Finance (accounting)
• Computer Science (programming, 3D animation)
• Fabrication (woodworking, metalworking)
• Mentorship Working side-by-side with
  professionals
• Teamwork

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Organization Programs
FIRST

• 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public charity
• Founded 1989, by inventor Dean Kamen
• Headquarters in Manchester, NH
• Board Chairman John Abele, Founder Chairman of
  Boston Scientific
• 25 million operating budget
• 2,000 corporate sponsors
• 60,000 volunteers

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FIRST Program Continuum
Varsity
FIRST Robotics Competition
Sports Model
Junior Varsity
Junior High
Pop Warner
Jr. FIRST LEGO League
FIRST LEGO League
FIRST Tech Challenge
K 1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10
11 12
Grade Level
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Organization Programs
FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robotics Competition Team Growth

• 37,000 high school students
• Average 24 students per team
• 31 minority
• 340 teams advance to the FIRST Championship

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Impact

• Education in Science Technology
• FIRST Students vs. Comparison Group
• Seek Education in Science Technology
• Student twice a likely to go on to college
• Twice as likely to major in science or
  engineering
• More than three times as likely to major
  specifically in engineering

Source Brandeis University, Center for Youth and
Communities, Heller School for Social Policy and
Management
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NI Robotics Platform for FIRST
Adoption of a Progressive Programming Platform in
2009

• FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST standardizes on
  NI CompactRIO, powered by NI LabVIEW, for the
  2009 robotics competition.
• FIRST Technical Challenge Adoption of the LEGO
  MINDSTORMS NXT platform, programmable with NI
  LabVIEW

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Benefits of the New FIRST Controller

• Students can build more sophisticated robotics
  systems
• Improved autonomous performance
• Advanced vision capabilities
• Additional sensor choices
• Intuitive, graphical LabVIEW software development
  will increase participation in autonomous
  programming
• Industry-standard technology means students gain
  knowledge for university studies and professional
  careers

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New 2009 FIRST Robotics Controller
NI CompactRIO, the industrys most compact,
powerful embedded controller - powered by NI
LabVIEW

• Flexible Inputs Outputs (I/O)
• More sensor choices
• More I/O lines
• Customizable I/O for future years

• Superior Performance
• 32 bit real time processor
• 802.11 Wireless Ethernet
• FPGA I/O control

• Advanced Control
• Intelligent Robotics Algorithms
• Real-Time Vision Processing

• Easy to Program
• Programmable in C and LabVIEW, the worlds
  leading graphical language
• Wireless debugging
• Laptop dashboard

• Rugged design
• 50G shock rating
• Easier connectivity

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NI Investment and Support of FIRST

• Multimillion dollar in-kind donation
• RD investment
• Mentor program
• Technical Support Training
• Microcommunity
• Applications Engineers

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Primary CompactRIO Suppliers
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New Platform - FIRST Technical Challenge

• Rugged Based on the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT
  platform, but with new, stronger metal parts can
  withstand a 40 drop!

Powerful - Intuitive, industry-standard graphical
development Program your robot with NI LabVIEW
, ROBOTC or NXT-G!
Wireless Bluetooth Communication
Smart 32-bit ARM processor for advanced control
Data Visualization Easily monitor data coming
from your robot
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• Students begin to program at age 6 with
  intuitive, graphical, icon-based software
• Progressive Programming Platform - Technology
  that meets the needs of students of all ages
• Strong Industry Usage Strong adoption of
  LabVIEW in industry means students learn skills
  they can use in college and their careers.

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Summary

• FIRST Robotics Competition Adoption of new
  CompactRIO control system for advanced robotics,
  powered by NI LabVIEW
• FIRST Tech Challenge Adoption of a ruggedized
  version of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT that can be
  programmed with LabVIEW, ROBOTC OR NXT-G
• Continuous Programming Continuum for FIRST
  Robotics Programs

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Questions?