Tips and tricks for FIRST LEGO League (FLL) 2019 City Shaper Challenge

As each year we are not releasing any "solutions" until the season ends. As mentors, there are some directions we could give. As a team, you could learn from our tutorials and building instructions and develop your own solutions to the missions. When you do, send us some pictures and videos :)

A very good description of the missions could be found at the first lego league site

Approach

What we could do as mentors, is to help with directions and questions based on experience and tutorials from previous years. We plan to update the page a few more times during the season, so check for updates from time to time.

Prerequisites

Move through the FIRST LEGO League Robot Game Preparation. The complete guide before proceeding to the resources below. This will give you a much deeper and better understanding of the references that we are making

Picture for FIRST LEGO League

With a subscription for all the team members, students could move together through the courses, building instructions and programs while the mentor tracks the programs and navigates them.

Subscribe as a Team

Missions Inspiration and Directions

Scores:

Score all that apply

  • If the Robot is Supported by the Bridge: 20 and
  • If one or more Flags are clearly raised any distance, only by the Robot: 15 Each Flag

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Note: You can only get Flag points if you get Bridge points.

Note: Rule 31 allowance: It is okay and expected for Robots to collide while trying to earn Flag points.

Note: When clearly only one Robot is holding a Flag raised, only that Robot scores for that Flag

(mission descriptions source https://www.first-lego-league.org/)

FLLCasts Tip:

All you have to do at the end of your run is to park the robot on the bridge and lift the flag to get 35 points. If your attachment pushes the second lever and the second flag is raised, you will have 50 points. If you are aiming only for 20 points, you can just park your robot on the bridge. However, since it is easy to park it ontop of the lever for the flag, it is an easy way to gain 15 points. To get to the bridge you may follow the line next to the Traffic jam (Mission 06) and align to the perpendicular line. It helps if you have accomplished the Traffic jam (Mission 06) because you won't have a mission model in the path of your robot.

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Fllcasts Tip:

You can add a limiter to your robot/attachment. Thus, you will limit the attachment movement that you use to push the beam that rotates the crane. With this the crane will be rotated to the correct angle that the blue building is positioned above the blue circle. It is easy to push the other blue building to the blue circle and then lift the crane lever to lower the house.

This mission will be accomplished more easily if you finish it before Innovative architecture (Mission 11) or Design & build (Mission 12).

The trick is to have a clear path to push the blue house to the blue circle.

The blue circle won't benefit the Design & Build (Mission 12) (it doesn't give bonus points in Mission 12).

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Fllcasts Tip:

Using an attachment that holds all the structures you wish to lay on the tree is priceless. Also, align the robot to the tree base to unload the structures. Aim for the small branch that gives you 15 points per structure you leave. Leave all the structures in one go. Do not return to lay more structures because it is dangerous - you may push the first structures from the tree branches.

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Fllcasts Tip:

Just push, hit or touch the blue beams. They should fall, release the swing and Voilá!

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Fllcasts Tip:

You need to have a long panel attached to one side of the robot. It needs to be one or two LEGO units above the balanced position of the elevator. Then your robot needs to pass slowly next to the elevator and push it with the panel until the elevator reaches its balanced position. The panel is used because it won't let the elevator get past the balanced position. The panel needs to be attached horizontally.

This mission is difficult because you can very easily lose the balance point and the elevator will fall.

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Look for inspiration:

Coming soon

Fllcasts Tip:

You can take the house back to Home. On another run knock out all the beams and place back the house upside-down on two blue beams that are flat on the ground.

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Scores

  • 20

(mission descriptions source https://www.first-lego-league.org/)

FLLCasts Tip:

You will need an attachment that makes circular movements.

You may try to use the same attachment from the Traffic jam (Mission 06). But as the mission model is larger an attachment that can only lift up is going to have a hard time accomplishing the mission.

As the model isn't flat on the ground near it's base, it would be smart to slide an axle or a beam and make a pivot point around which you can lift the model.

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Fllcasts Tip:

You need to build a structure using elements only from Bag 10! It needs to be bigger than a blue building. Use as many parts as you like. You have to prebuild your model and use it in all of the runs. When you start accomplishing the mission, you will have to push, pull or carry your model to the destination.

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Scores

Please take the needed time to understand the scoring examples.

LOCATION

If there are any Circles with at least one color-matching Unit Completely In, and Flat Down on the Mat:

  • 10 Each Circle

HEIGHT

If there are Independent Stacks at least partly in any Circles, add all of their heights together:

  • 5 Each Level

 

Note: The Blue Circle is not Part of Mission 12.

Note: A Stack is one or more Building Units with Level 1 touching Flat Down on the Mat, and any higher levels touching Flat Down on the level below.

 

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Color match = no

Tan stack = 2 levels

White stack = 1 level

15 points shown

  • 10 points from 2 Tan stack levels
  • 5 points from 1 White stack level

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Color match = no

Bridged stack = 4 levels

20 points shown

This whole stack counts as one independent stack because the white unit is rested on top of the red one. This stack is partially in the circle. It is 4 levels high, so 4x5 = 20 points. 

 

content pictureColor match = red

Red stack = 2 levels

Other stack = 4 levels

40 points shown

  • You have 2 independent stacks in the same circle
  • From the red stack you get 5 points per level, 2 levels=> 2x5 = 10 points.
  • From the red circle you get 10 points because there is a red structure completely in and flat on the mat.
  • From the other stack you get 5 points per level, 4 levels => 4x5= 20 points.
  • 10 + 10 + 20 = 40 points.

FLLCasts Tip:

You will need these tips to accomplish the mission:

  • The blue circle doesn’t bring points when it is filled with blue structures.
  • Put the highest single color structure stack in the circle of the same color. If you do this, your team will win 10 points for the circle and 5 points for any structure in the circle.
  • Also, at least one structure matching the color of the circle needs to be completely in the circle.
  • Bring all the structures in one circle at one go. After the structures are placed in the circle, don't bring any more structures. Otherwise, you may push out the ones that are inside the circle.

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Scores

Only one score counts.

If the number of Precision Tokens left on the Field is:

  • 6: 60
  • 5: 45
  • 4: 30
  • 3: 20
  • 2: 10
  • 1: 5

(mission descriptions source https://www.first-lego-league.org/)

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FLLCasts Tip

Don't interrupt the robot until it is not completely at Home.

{

  • Don't break the rules!
  • Don't be mean!
  • Don’t' be naughty!
  • Be cool!
  • Be nice!
  • Be a dude!
  • Hey dude … 

}

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Look for inspiration:

Be a dude!