Omnimaga
General Discussion => Technology and Development => Other => Topic started by: PeonHero on February 27, 2011, 05:21:05 pm
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I have not seen this anywhere else, and I'm not sure if you guys even know of it. But recently, Google started a science fair competition called the Google Science Fair.
Basically, it is not like the science fairs we have in school, it is more like the science fair in which you have to create a project about something that is relevant to our modern world. Something involving calculators perhaps? Anyway, the top prizes are amazing. These are what the top 15 finalists receive:
A Scholarship from Google
A $25,000 scholarship, split equally between team members should a team win this prize. This scholarship is intended to be used towards the finalists’ further education.
A Once in a Lifetime Experience
The Finalists will have second and third choice by random selection of one of the remaining experiences at one of the following partner organizations: CERN, Google, the LEGO Group, or Scientific American. Learn more.
A Personalised LEGO Prize
A personal LEGO color mosaic (one for each team member, to build her/himself) and 1 personal, exclusive LEGO box - specially made for the occasion
Digital Access to Scientific American archives for their school
Digital access for the finalists' schools for a year. This prize is valid up to 12 months from winning the prize on 11 July 2011.
A LEGO Goodie Bag including:
* A LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 set
* 2 - 4 HiTechnic sensors (endorsed 3rd party accessory sensors - totalling 10 different sensors!)
* 1 Codatex RFID sensor with tags (endorsed 3rd party sensors)
* 1 LEGO TECHNIC set (highest pricepoint in 2011 1HY assortment)
A Google Goodie Bag including:
* A Google Chrome Notebook
* An Android phone
Scientific American subscription
* A subscription to Scientific American magazine for 12 months.
I think that is at least $50,000 in total value. Plus, don't forget that you can pretty much get into any college if you're in the top 15. These aren't even the grand finalist prizes, you can find more information on it by going here: <a href="http://www.google.com/sciencefair"> Google Science Fair </a>
The rules are:
- You have to be aged 13-18
- You have to submit a video or PPT presentation of your project (or both)
- Teams of up to 3 people
This is a worldwide competition, and I am definitely entering. So far I have contacted my smartest friends and they don't want to enter. What the heck?!?! Maybe if you want to work with someone else over the internet, you can meet them here.
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I'll definitely try to enter this.
Now what to do...
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yeah, that's the question, what to do?
Something that would help the world in some way.
Solution to pollution? Solution to some sort of problem that is affecting many people.
Solution to better education?
I just came up with something just now that I have always wanted to do for a while.
Creating a home power generator. Not the ones where you have to plug it into the wall, then lug it around and they cost thousands of dollars. I'm talking about something like if you are running on a treadmill, you charge a device that can store electricity, for use for later. So you can plug in your cell phone to it or something!!
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Wow, the deadline is a little over a month away.
If I do something, it'll probably be in the computer science/math area, or possibly electronics.
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More rules: This actually looks hard now, but I won't deter!
The following criteria will be used to judge each of the 8 core steps of your project site:
1.
About me
An excellent student will show a real passion for science and be able to present their ideas with confidence, clarity and enthusiasm, and explain what winning would mean to them.
2.
The Question
An excellent question will be interesting, creative, worded scientifically and relevant to the world today.
3.
Hypothesis
An excellent hypothesis will lead on from the question, be tightly focused and build on existing knowledge.
4.
Research
Excellent students will undertake research to help them shape their question and hypothesis and to put their work into a relevant, real-world context.
5.
Experiment
Excellent students will demonstrate that they have used good experimental techniques and describe their experiment clearly and in detail.
6.
Data
Excellent data will be relevant, sufficient to support a conclusion and should be recorded accurately and precisely, and be presented clearly.
7.
Observations
Excellent observations will describe patterns or trends supported by the data.
8.
Conclusion
An excellent conclusion will explain how the experiment answers the question or why it fails to do so and whether or not it supports the hypothesis.
Judges will be looking for the following qualities in your Works Cited section:
Excellent students will acknowledge and provide clear references for sources of information that they have consulted and/or referenced and acknowledge any assistance received (e.g. to find equipment and materials, to stay safe or to use unfamiliar equipment or techniques).
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I attend science fairs like this (as in "serious" ones). I've got one coming up, too. Maybe I could just enter that project :P
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I want in.
but how do I develop an epic project for the Prizm, in under a month, that benefits humanity as a whole ???
I have the emulator, but that probably won't be done until summer and only benefits a select group.
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it doesn't have to benifit humanity, but it has to have real-world applications, not meaningless data sets no one can use.
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Yeah but if you wanna win, it should benefit humanity in some way. That's the only way you'll get first place. It has to have a purpose, there has to be a good outcome from the experiment.
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Maybe I could try to expand education some way with the Prizm. Also if uberspire was under 18 he could've submitted his new calc.
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Sounds like I could win :)
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He doesn't have to be under 18, he can be age 18 and enter.
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I'm pretty sure he is a senior in college though
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I'm thinking about doing a robot that will map out a 3d grid of where it is and make decisions based off of that.
Goal: not to hit anything where it is mapping
Goal2: get an accurate 3d map that can be stored and retrieved.
Goal3: to not let the robot fall
Goal4: (Possible)Add color and more detail to the 3d map
I could think of many ways this could benefit people.(now I'll need an AI to run on it ;)) Do you think this is a good idea?
I'm going to try and get a team of 3-4 people including me
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I'm thinking about doing a robot that will map out a 3d grid of where it is and make decisions based off of that.
Goal: not to hit anything where it is mapping
Goal2: get an accurate 3d map that can be stored and retrieved.
Goal3: to not let the robot fall
Goal4: (Possible)Add color and more detail to the 3d map
I could think of many ways this could benefit people.(now I'll need an AI to run on it;)) Do you think this is a good idea?
I'm going to try and get a team of 3-4 people including me
I thought of a possible way to accomplish this involving infrared lights and lots of complex math. The problem though is that I believe this might take a pretty powerful computer to map. You could connect the robot to an outside server, but that would take away from its ability. But I might be wrong. If I was to to give this a go, I would just use my good old 84+ as the onboard server unless the math is too complex.
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Interesting. I wouldn't enter, though, since I'm way past 18 and I wouldn't have any idea for a project for this. X.x
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i believe I might be able to do this now I just have to buy a lot of robot parts. I need metal for support; a powerful microcontroller for running my program(It will be in C); Sonar sensors which I prefer over infared; If I try to add color to my map I will need a camera/rgb sensor; If I want to be able to transmit wireless information(almost a must) I will need a radio setup; and even more touch sensors for not hitting things.
I hope to mount the sonar sensors so that they see everything around it. I'm thinking 4-8. I also want some infared sensors on the bottom to tell me if I get over a cliff so I don't murder my robot on a table. i hope to not actually touch any of the things on the table without adding in something at the end. It would probably score less if I moved the things I was mapping.
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So are you thinking of using an arduino to control the robot. A possible idea is a method for multiple robots to connect wirelessly to speed up the mapping process. Also I don't see much of a problem with moving items as long as they are remapped. An application for the robots could be to search and destroy IED's or to preform search and rescue.
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i was thinking of those applications and use in areas with radioactive elements. The radioactivity can block out radio signals. I'm not sure what we're going to use to control it. i need something where we can store multiple files on it and have enough power to do this. My budget as it is has enough money for one robot. the remapping hopefully won't be too hard
i currently have an upper limit of $150 that will hopefully soon increase
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Even though you can only afford one robot you could still make it compatible with others. Also for communication there are several possibilities. You could use blips of sound, but that can be droned out and has a short range. The other which I know the military uses, has lasers to send data directly to another robot. The issue with this though is that it requires a direct line of sight. Being on a budget you could have your trusty 83/84 + work with the data and computations then have the arduino as a bridge between the motors and sensors.
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i don't have an 83/84 so I'll have to use an Nspire ;)
i was thinking some kind of a laser communication but that is difficult to implement. another Idea I had that was less prctical would be to use a fiber optic cable. I will think of that later right now i need to have agood idea what to use as main controller and how to get that working well. Got to build this thing than startt programming/adding new features
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I am a bit confused, but would this be a robot controlled via CALCnet 2.2? O.O
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No. it is supposed to be an autonomous robot that creates a 3d map of its area then does an assigned task with that map.
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If you're building a robot, you should probably go out and buy a microcontroller. Nspires aren't exactly plentiful in I/O capabilities. :P You can get some really cheap ARM platforms, based on the Cortex M3 and such.
How's this? only $30 http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=EA-XPR-001-ND (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=EA-XPR-001-ND)
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It doesn't say much about it. I need a good powerful one to keep up with the robots program. I knew I'd need a microcontroller when i started I just don't know of any good one
With Ndless if we mapped the usb port I could control the robot... TI please give me the usb port documentation(worth a try)
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Hmm...how powerful do you need?
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Relatively powerful. I either need to store an independent file with the 3d map in it or have it stored in the code as a variable(possibly 3d matrix). My code will be in C so It should be relatively fast, but there will be lots of information this robot has to quickly rocess(3 infared sensors currently planned(possibly a camera), many touch sensors, and a couple cliff sensors) I need to monitor all of those to keep the robot safe and mapping. i don't know quite enough to know what hardware this means thoough
I'm a programmer i have another person on my team who is a good builder
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Hey, how did everyone's project do? My group's project wasn't completed, lol... Next year for sure!
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Sorry to hear. :(
By the way welcome back on the forums, I noticed you were gone for a while. :)
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They aren't announcing winners yet....not till early may, when, ironically, I will be at another International science fair for the same project :P
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My project never was able to get started because My team didn't really help me at all. I was on documentation most of the time alone with no help. I'll try to get something done next year I guess
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Well, I got mine in. I hope I win! I could use $50k :P
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Well, I got mine in. I hope I win! I could use $50k :P
Isn't it $25K? Or am I confused?